Iran’s Zarf in New Zealand for Official Visit
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is in New Zealand to hold talks with senior officials of the Oceanian country on various issues, including ways to boost bilateral relations in diverse areas, economy in particular.
Heading a high-ranking delegation, Zarif arrived in the New Zealand capital of Wellington on Friday on the fifth leg of his tour of Southeast Asian and Oceanian countries.
During his trip, the Iranian top diplomat is slated to meet New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key, Foreign Minister Murray McCully and other officials.
He also plans to meet with the Iranian expatriates living in New Zealand as well as the country’s private sector to boost economic ties between two countries.
Zarif’s 11-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, which took him to Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and New Zealand, will go on with another visit to Australia.
The visits come against the backdrop of a new wave of interest in ties with Iran after the country’s negotiating team, headed by Zarif, and representatives of the Group 5+1 on July 14, 2015 reached a conclusion over the text of a comprehensive 159-page deal on Tehran's nuclear program.
The two sides started implementing the nuclear agreement on January 16.
The comprehensive nuclear deal, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), terminated all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran.
Experts believe that Iran's economic growth would rise remarkably after the final nuclear deal takes effect.
