Iranian FM, Austrian President Meet in Vienna

The meeting took place on the sidelines of a fresh round of nuclear talks between Iran and the group of six world powers (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) that are in progress here in the Austrian capital.

Zarif’s Thursday meeting with Fischer comes amid growing speculations that the Austrian president may pay an official visit to Tehran in the near future.

On April 27, Iranian MP Hassan Kamran told the Tasnim News Agency that Fischer will soon pay an official visit to Iran as part of efforts to expand ties with the Islamic Republic. 

Back in April, Fischer's spokesman said that the invitation from the Iranian side for the Austrian president’s visit to Tehran had been accepted by Vienna in principle but no date has been set.

If Fischer visits Iran, he will be the first head of a Western state to tour the country for many years.

In September last year, the Iranian president met his Austrian counterpart on the sidelines of the 68th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where they exchanged views on bilateral relations, with President Rouhani emphasizing the need for removal of anti-Iran sanctions imposed by the European Union.