TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that expansion of ties with Italy is a priority of his country.

“Constructive interaction and expansion of ties with the friendly country of Italy, as an important country in the European Union, based on mutual respect have been priority of Iran over the past years,” he said in a message to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, congratulating the Italian National Day.

Rouhani said that the relations have been growing in the various spheres.

The president added, “I am confident that by signing the agreement to open line of credit, the path to implementing documents signed between the two countries will be facilitated.” 

The Italian National Day, also called Republic Day, is celebrated on June 2 each year.

The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government, following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism.

After 85 years of monarchy, Italy became a republic, and the monarchs of the House of Savoy were deposed and exiled.

A grand military parade is held in central Rome on this day.

NA/PA