Federica Mogherini talks Syria, Iran-EU ties in Tehran

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) meets EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Tehran, October 29, 2016. (Photo by president.ir)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has met with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Tehran to discuss latest developments in the region, particularly the Syria crisis.

Earlier Saturday, Mogherini met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss bilateral ties between Tehran and the EU as well as the latest developments in Syria.

Zarif hailed EU's "constructive" role in the Syrian peace process and expressed the Islamic Republic’s readiness to forge closer relations with the bloc.

Mogherini arrived in Tehran on Friday night to hold talks with senior Iranian officials about the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomes EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini before a meeting in Tehran, October 29, 2016.

Mogherini’s trip to Tehran comes after Iran’s foreign minister participated in a day-long trilateral meeting with his Russian and Syrian counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Walid al-Muallem, in Moscow on Friday.

Zarif said the three countries should reinforce cooperation in the campaign against terrorism. He called for measures to stop the delivery of military equipment to foreign-backed Takfiri militants wreaking havoc in Syria.

Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by a militancy that it blames on some Western states and their regional allies, particularly Saudi Arabia.

Iran has been providing military advisory assistance to the Syrian government in its campaign against terrorism. Russia has been carrying out airstrikes against terrorist positions in Syria on a request from Damascus.