The Vatican’s new Apostolic Nuncio to Iran said in the meeting that Pope Francis seeks closer bilateral relations between the Holy Seas and the Islamic Republic.
In the Sunday meeting in Tehran, Archbishop Boccardi also hailed the longstanding relations between the Vatican and Iran.
Archbishop Boccardi called for interaction and bilateral cooperation between Catholic and Muslim scholars in an effort to settle regional crises, particularly the foreign-sponsored turmoil in Syria.
The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, praised good Tehran-Vatican City ties, saying the Christian minorities in Iran have been living in peace with the followers of other faiths for hundreds of years.
Zarif also pointed to the deadly crisis in Syria and said, “With regards to the ongoing extremism in Syria, the condition of people and religious minorities, including the Christians in this country, are a cause of concern for us.”
Christians of different denominations account for about 10 percent of Syria's population.