Hassan Rouhani on Saturday postponed what would have been the first visit to Europe by an Iranian president in 10 years after attacks in Paris that he described as "crimes against humanity."
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who had been due to travel with Rouhani, told state television he would now instead head Iran's delegation to international talks on the Syrian conflict in Vienna.
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Rouhani sent a message of condolence to French counterpart Francois Hollande on the shootings and bombings in Paris that left more than 120 people dead, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.
"In the name of the Iranian people, who have themselves been victims of terrorism, I strongly condemn these crimes against humanity and offer my condolences to the grieving French people and government," Rouhani said.
Zarif said the Paris attacks made the Vienna talks all the more important as world governments needed to work together to fight against the Islamic State group and other extremists.
"We must use the opportunity presented by these crimes to coordinate internationally," he said.
"The Paris events show once again that terrorism and extremism are an international threat and that international cooperation is necessary to fight this phenomenon."COMMENTARY: Beirut was bombed two days ago, Paris yesterday and Baghdad today.
Japan and Iran have reached agreement on an investment accord, which may give a boost to Japanese investments into the Islamic Republic once sanctions are lifted as early as next year, the countries' foreign ministers said in a statement.
Japan is keen to boost ties with Iran and invest in resource projects there, as well as increase crude imports from the Middle Eastern country.
Japan's crude imports from Iran plunged more than 40 percent from 2011 levels before tough Western sanctions were introduced in 2012 over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.
Japan's top oil and gas explorer Inpex Corp, which in 2010 was forced to give up a stake in Iran's Azadegan oil field because of the sanctions, was among dozens of companies that visited Iran in August.
Iran's chief negotiator for new oil contacts said last week the country would introduce more than 50 exploration and production projects to investors in the near future.
UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson said on Monday that the UN still has a lot to do in putting an end to conflict, poverty, inequalities and repression, noting the UN mission is not accomplished yet.
Eliasson made the remarks while delivering a speech on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UN celebrated in Tehran.
During his speech in which some Iranian officials and UN diplomats were present, Eliasson admitted that there is much left to be done in the UN. “We all have work to do. Our mission is not accomplished. We need to continue to reform our organization and adapt it to the new global landscape.”COMMENTARY: Eliasson was part of the UN mission that attempted to mediate the Iran–Iraq War from 1980 to 1986.
UN Secretary-General Special Representative for Iraq Ján Kubiš who is in Iran to discuss latest Iraqi developments with Iranian officials was received on Sunday evening by Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister and head of diplomatic machinery of the country, where he expressed gratitude for the attempts by Mr. Kubiš waged to bring stability and security to crisis-stricken Iraq.
Mr. Kubiš believe[s] that the key to safely coming out of the current situation in Iraq is national unity. He also said that international and regional players were also important in helping manage the situation in the country; “promoting national reconciliation process, supporting strong central government, and focusing global participation in tackling economic, security, and social issues in Iraq are UN’s priorities,” he added.
Mr. Kubiš asserted that he would speak to any country and player as his mission for reaching a realistic analysis of the pandemonium in Iraq and finding a viable and effective solution, and believed that Iran’s role in Iraq and its benign advice on Iraq was absolutely invaluable for this reason.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday fighting radical militants like Islamic State in Syria is the top priority and if they are to be defeated then President Bashar al-Assad's government "can't be weakened."
"This does not mean that the Syrian government does not need reform ... Of course it does," Rouhani told an audience of U.S. think-tanks and journalists on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, but he added that the removal of his ally Assad would turn Syria into an extremist safe haven.
Discussions of political reform in Syria should come after the threat of extremism in Syria has been removed.
Referring to air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition on Islamic State targets in Syria, Rouhani said defeating the militants was "not feasible through air operations only." He said Russia "is ready to fight terrorism" and shares the same desire to defeat the threat of Islamic State.
"If the priority is not to defeat terrorism, we are making a big mistake," Rouhani said.
He added that Russia's and Iran's positions on Syria were "almost identical."
Failing to address the problem of Islamic State properly and forcing out the government would result in the group taking control of Damascus, Rouhani said.COMMENTARY: There is an unverified indication suggesting Iraq's Abadi government may have instituted denial of Russian supply aircraft traversing Iraqi airspace, bound for Syria.
