News - Middle East: Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani says the Islamic Republic welcomes any initiatives proposed by the European Union to open new doors of interaction and cooperation, reiterating the country’s resolve for bilateral engagement with the bloc.

Bagheri Kani, who is also Iran's chief negotiator, made the remarks in a meeting with Luigi Di Maio, EU Special Representative for the Persian Gulf region and his accompanying delegation in the capital Tehran on Sunday.
He went on to say that Iran's capacities in the regional and international arenas “have presented irreplaceable opportunities for regional and global players to hold dialogue, interaction, and cooperation.”
Bagheri Kani further underlined that Iran in practice has shown that it has the necessary determination and ability to hold bilateral interaction, while referring to the role of the European Union in mobilizing and consolidating the capacities of Europe.
Therefore, he said, Tehran welcomes any initiative from the European side to boost cooperation and interaction.
Di Maio, for his part, acknowledged Iran’s important and effective role in regional and global developments, emphasizing that all EU member states support dialogue and interaction with the Islamic Republic.
Di Maio, a former Italian foreign minister was appointed as the EU’s first envoy for the Persian Gulf region in May. The EU official also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran earlier in the day.