BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament's (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Elmar Brok reported Tuesday evening to the committee on the recent visit to Iran by Parliament's delegation. According to an EP press release issued Wednesday evening, Brok said, "The visit was justified since the council had asked the commission to negotiate a trade agreement with Iran, which the European Parliament would have to approve, it was therefore important for members to have an insight into the situation in the country, relations between Iran and the European Union were being strengthened."

The high representative (Javier Solana) is also to visit Iran this week and a bilateral agreement between Germany and Iran would be ratified in August.

This dialogue was set to continue as the Iranian foreign minister and a delegation from the Iranian Parliament had agreed in principle to come to address the European Parliament.

MEPs had held talks with their counterparts in the Iranian Parliament, in particular members of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

They also met President Khatami and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and visited an Iraqi refugee camp near Shiraz and saw the work done by a charity chaired by MEP and committee Vice-Chairman Baroness Nicholson.

Meetings were also held with various associations, including the Association of Iranian Journalists, said the press release.

The five-member EP delegation led by Brok paid a first-ever visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on July 16-21.