Vatican Wants Enhanced Ties with Iran: Envoy

Tehran, Nov 4, IRNA – The Holy See government and the Pope are keen on expanding relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Vatican new ambassador to Tehran, Lieu Bacardi said in a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday. Meanwhile, the new ambassador presented a copy of his credentials to the foreign minister. He called for dialogue between faiths and bilateral cooperation to help alleviate human sufferings in Syria, adding that the Holy See will spare no efforts to help remove Western sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Iran-Vatican relations can be an example for other countries, the new ambassador said. In the meantime, Iranian foreign minister hailed excellent relations between the two governments, saying he was hopeful that bilateral relations would further promote under the new Iranian government. He referred to several hundred years long peaceful and brotherly co-existence of the Christian minorities in Iran and said that Islam and Christianity presented good example of amity for centuries in Iran. Zarif expressed concern over humanitarian plight in Syria and said that the religious minorities living in Syria have been exposed to extremism and terrorism in Syria. Zarif voiced Iran’s interest in resuming a new round of religious talks between scholars from the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Holy See./end