TEHRAN -- The Iranian and Spanish lecturers opened a two-day conference in Tehran on Sunday to review issues concerning Iran-Spain relations and the regional and international issues.
The Tehran-based Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and Madrid University have jointly sponsored the conference.
The IPIS Director Mohammad Kazem Sajjadpour said the conference follows the three objectives of research studies about the Iranian foreign policy, acquisition of knowledge about the regional and international issues and rendering assistance to implement the diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He said the conference will serve to exchange views about the bilateral and international matters and help foster better atmosphere for cooperation between the two countries.
Head of Spanish Research Center for International Cooperation and Security with Madrid University Antonio Marquina said in his address to the conference that the Spain did not have an active foreign policy concerning Asia, but the new diplomacy of Madrid government has focused on Asia.
He said holding the conference in Tehran is the outcome of two years of consultations between the Iranian and Spanish academics which will be fruitful to be acquainted with each other.
Spanish Charge d'Affaires at the Spanish Embassy Ramon Blecua voiced the Madrid government's gratitude for holding the conference and said that holding the conference is indication of a new era in Iran-Spain relations.
Addressing the conference, Blecua said Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar will visit Iran in October and that the Madrid government has given importance to the region especially to Islamic Republic of Iran.
Blecua said the Islamic culture is the fundamental component of the Spanish culture and the historical background between the Iranian and Spanish nations would serve to develop bilateral relations.
He said Spain has special capability in implementing President Mohammad Khatami's initiative to hold dialog of civilizations and would serve as a bridge between the Muslim world and the West.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Educational and Research Affairs Sadeq Kharrazi said Iran is situated in Asia and the Middle East and Spain is located on the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean so that the researchers should think about the optimum utilization of geo-strategic, geo-economic and geo-political situation of the two countries.
Sadeq Kharrazi pointed the to upcoming visit to Tehran of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and said relations between Iran and Spain enjoy a special status compared with Iran's relations with European states.
He said the diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has focused on confidence-building, detente, and dialog of civilizations adding that Iran is the harbinger of international peace and understanding.
Sadeq Kharrazi hoped that exchange of views between the experts from Iran and Spain in the two-day conference will help the two countries develop a serious and close cooperation.
(IRNA)