Iran pins importance on ties with Brazil: Rouhani

Iran attaches importance to the growth of its "good" ties with Brazil as the economically-influential country in the Latin America, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said here on Sunday, according to official IRNA news agency.

To this end, both countries should identify their potentials of cooperation in diverse areas, Rouhani said in a meeting with the visiting Brazilian Minister of External Relations Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira.

"Iran and Brazil boast considerable progress in industry, technology and science, which can serve as the ground for cooperation and exchange of experiences," Rouhani was quoted as saying.

The Iranian president pointed to the climate of post-nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers reached in July, saying that there is no obstacle on the development of relations between the two countries, and the Brazilian investors can use this opportunity to partake in Iran's macro projects.

As for political issues in the world, Rouhani said that Tehran and Brasilia have common stances over the independence of the countries and are against discrimination and mono-lateralism as far as the international issues are concerned.

For his part, Vieira said Brazil seeks closer and stronger ties with Iran, and eyes the two countries' complementary roles in the economic cooperation, according to IRNA.

Brazil attaches significance to Iran's part in the creation of stability in the regional and international arena, he said.

Vieira arrived in Tehran on Saturday for talks with senior Iranian officials on international issues as well as expansion of mutual ties in diverse areas.

Iran-Brazil relations are featured by economic and diplomatic cooperation. Iran had close and amicable relations with Brazil when Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva was Brazil's president in 2002-2010.

However, since the election of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in 2011, relations between the two countries deteriorated, as Rousseff shifted Brazil away from Iran due to what it called "human and civil rights" issues in Iran.

In September last year, President Rouhani sent a message to Rousseff expressing the hope that mutual cooperation between the two countries would recover. Enditem