TEHRAN - Nigerien Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou has congratulated Iran’s top diplomat Hossein Amir Abdollahian on his appointment to the post, the Iranian foreign ministry said.

In a message, Massaoudou wished Amir Abdollahian success as Iran’s new foreign minister. The Nigerien foreign minister described Niger-Iran ties as excellent and said his country is ready to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation on international issues of mutual interest.

Earlier last month, Abdollahian received many congratulatory messages and calls from his counterparts and other foreign officials for becoming the new foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

The latest message came amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts by Iran and the West to overcome differences over when to resume the stalked Vienna nuclear talks on possibly reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

On Saturday, Abdollahian met with Secretary-General of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Peter Launsky as part of the fifth round of political talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Austria.

Launsky praised the friendly relations between his country and Iran and expressed hope that the Iran nuclear deal will be revived with the cooperation of all parties.

Earlier, the Austrian diplomat met Ali Bagheri, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs. During the meeting, Bagheri underlined Tehran’s compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA. He added that Europe did not quit the agreement after the withdrawal of the United States, but did not take effective and practical action within the framework of its commitments under the JCPOA.

Launsky also underscored the antiquity of the Iran-Austria relations, noting that mutual respect and understanding have institutionalized the will of the two nations to cooperate with each other.

The Secretary-General of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also pointed to the significant potential in economic relations between Tehran and Vienna and underlined the willingness of Austrian companies to be present in the Iranian market.