Iranian speaker reviews regional, international issues with Serbian officials

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani discussed the latest developments in the relations between Tehran and Belgrade as well as the regional and international issues with Serbian officials. "During the visit, we exchanged views on major international and regional issues and discussed expansion of parliamentary and economic relations," Larijani said before leaving Belgrade's airport for Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday night. Stressing that Iran and Serbia share similar views on different issues, he said, "I think that the two countries enjoy close views over the establishment of stability and security in today world." Earlier on Monday, Larijani and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic in a meeting discussed the latest international developments and ways to expand the relations between the two friendly countries. Larijani, on the second day of his visit to Belgrade, conferred with the Serbian president on the most important bilateral and international issues. Larijani left Belgrade for Geneva to take part in the 129th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly. The 129th IPU assembly will take place from October 7 to 9 in Geneva. The IPU Assembly is the principal statutory body that expresses the views of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on political issues. It brings together lawmakers to study international problems and make recommendations for action. Iran and Serbia have in recent years made great efforts to further develop their bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in all fields. In a meeting in mid-July, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Iran's Ambassador to Serbia Majid Fahimpour called for closer ties between the two friendly states. Vucic underlined that both countries have the potential to forge closer cooperation on different social, political and cultural fronts. The Iranian envoy, for his part, said that Iran is resolved to expand cultural, economic and political relations with Serbia. A report in mid-June said that Iran and Serbia's trade exchanges exceeded $15.5mln last year despite the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the West on Iran's economy. "The volume of Iran and Serbia's trade (exchanges) has increased in recent years and is still moving on the path of development and growth and the volume of trade (exchanges) between the two countries reached $15.5mln in 2012," Head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Hamid Safdel said in a meeting with Serbian Ambassador to Iran Alexander Tasich in Tehran at the time. "The level of trade ties between the two countries should increase by identifying the capacities, potentials and the possibilities for mutual cooperation," he added. Safdel announced that Iran has exported $2.5mln worth of goods and services to Serbia in the year 2012.