TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Saturday met with the head and members of a high-ranking Croatian parliamentary delegation, who are visiting Tehran.

During the meeting, Amir Abdollahian touched on the talks and consultations between officials of Iran and Croatia over the past months and expressed willingness to expand ties between the two countries.

Iran’s top diplomat also highlighted the influential place of parliamentary diplomacy and the balanced foreign policy of the current Iranian administration, noting that Tehran sees no limitation concerning ties with the Republic of Croatia, and the parliaments of the two countries have an important role to play in propping up mutual ties.

The Iranian foreign minister described boosting trade and economic ties between the two countries as significant and expressed hope that the fifth meeting of the joint economic commission of Iran and Croatia will be held soon.

A briefing on the latest Vienna negotiations intended to lift oppressive sanctions on Iran as well as Iran’s principled stance toward the talks were among other topics raised during the meeting of the Croatian parliamentary delegation with the Iranian foreign minister.

Head of the parliamentary friendship group, Zlatko Hasanbegovic, hailed the visit to Tehran and meetings with Iranian officials.

Hasanbegovic stated that Iran was the first Asian country to recognize the independence of Croatia and this is a golden page in the history of Croatia’s diplomacy and the record of ties between the two countries.

He said that the purpose of the visit by the Croatian parliamentary delegation is discussing expansion of relations and exchanging views on the subject with Iranian officials.

The Croatian parliamentary team touched on the history of ties between the Iranian and Croatian nations and their numerous cultural affinities.

The delegation members also expressed their readiness to support expansion of mutual ties and signing cultural cooperation agreements.

Ali Asghar Khani, head of the Iran-Croatia parliamentary friendship group, and other member of his team, also said the Iranian parliament is ready to help upgrade ties between Tehran and Zagreb in different fields and to help exchange parliamentary delegations.