TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Tuesday that Tehran will continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“We consider the Balkan region and the country of Bosnia as our friend and like the past will continue to support this region and Bosnia,” Amir Abdollahian said in a joint press conference with his Bosnian counterpart Bisera Turkovic in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Iran’s chief diplomat also congratulated the successful general election in Bosnia and said, “I hope those elected take good steps toward the progress and solidarity of Bosnia.”

He also said Iran has always been on the side of Bosnia in difficult days.

Amir Abdollahian added, “Undoubtedly, our policy is to defend the national sovereignty and solidarity of all religions in Bosnia.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the foreign minister said he and his Bosnian counterpart held talks over a series of issues ranging from formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan to the Ukraine war.

“We express our concerns over continuation of war in Ukraine and we are opposed to war in Ukraine and other regions,” the foreign minister remarked.

He also said the two sides agreed to reactivate the joint economic commission to develop ties.

“I am pleased that that trade exchanges between the two countries have increased by 53 percent over the past nine months,” he stated.

There is great possibility for increasing economic ties and “these collaborations should become more dynamic,” the chief diplomat remarked.

The foreign minister also said he had briefed his Bosnian counterpart about “baseless allegations” that the U.S. and a small number of Western countries have made against Iran about human rights.

Amir Abdollahian visited Sarajevo on Tuesday after concluding his trip to Serbia.

Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic had invited Amir Abdollahian to pay a visit to Sarajevo. 

The two top diplomats held two rounds of talks. After that, they paid homage to the tomb of Alija Izetbegovic, the former president of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In Belgrade, Amir Abdollahian met with Serbian Foreign Minister Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, President Aleksandar Vucic, Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic, and Serbia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Jelena Tanaskovic. 

In his meeting with the Serbian president, Amir Abdollahian renewed an invitation by the Iranian president to Vucic to visit Iran. The Iranian foreign minister also reaffirmed Iran’s support for the territorial integrity of Serbia.

*Iranian FM Amir Abdollahian met with Bakir Izetbegovic, the deputy parliament speaker of Bosnia and Herzegovina for ethnic groups, on Tuesday afternoon.