VIENNA -- Iranian Ambassador to Vienna Mohsen Nabavi on Thursday held talks with Austrian Minister of the Interior Ernst Strasser on bilateral, regional, and international issues.

Strasser said that Iranian Minister of the Interior Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari's visit to Vienna last year had been fruitful, adding that Iran and Austria have common views about the international campaign against terrorism and drug trafficking.

He said that Austria is keen on practical cooperation with Iran on the international campaign against terrorism and fighting drug trafficking in light of Iran's special status in the region.

Nabavi said that Iran and Austria have excellent relations, adding that Austria is one of the safest countries in the world and that Iran is willing to develop extensive economic cooperation with Austria.

He pointed to the satisfactory status of Iranians living in Austria and thanked the Austrian Interior Ministry for providing them with necessary services, IRNA reported.

On the international campaign against terrorism, the ambassador said that terrorism is a cancer which should be eradicated with an international resolve to reinforce peace and security in the international community.

Nabavi said that the United Nations should undertake leadership of the international campaign against terrorism, adding that a single country or a coalition of several countries could not eradicate terrorism.

He said that Iran is a victim of terrorism itself, adding that a large number of Iranians and ranking officials have been assassinated by the terrorist Mojahidin Khalq Organization (MKO) (1980s-1990s).

He said that the MKO has intensified its operations in the European countries and called on the Austrian government to deal with them.

On the campaign against drug trafficking, he said that Iran has been successful in the campaign and would proceed with it seriously in future.