Official: Sanctions Help Iran's Growth, Progress

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official downplayed the effects of international and unilateral sanctions against Iran, underlining that embargoes will lead to the further growth and progress of the country.
"Sanctions against Iran have resulted in the country's growth and prosperity," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said in a meeting with his Greek counterpart Grigoris Delivecuras in Athens on Monday night.

He further stressed Iran's role as a powerful country with an influential role in resolving regional problems and crises, and voiced Tehran's preparedness to further expand and develop relations with Greece.

During the meeting, Delivecuras underlined Iran's role as an influential country in the world, and called for continued consultations between the two countries.

He referred to the age-old and good relations between Iran and Greece and their potentials to further expand ties, and expressed the hope that cooperation between the two countries would further increase in future.

Earlier, Greek Prime Minister Yeoryios Papandreou, in a meeting with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Ali Ahani had also voiced his country's willingness to bolster ties and cooperation with Iran in all the various fields, stressing that Athens attaches importance to the expansion of ties with Tehran

The Greek premier also underlined his country's support for Iran's right of access and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

It is among the legitimate rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran to make use of the peaceful nuclear energy, Papandreou said.