France wants closer ties with Iran after nuclear deal

PARIS 

French President Francois Hollande has called his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in order to bolster relations between the two countries following the nuclear deal reached on July 14.

According to a statement from Elysee Palace on Thursday, the two leaders welcomed the agreement reached in Vienna and reviewed the conditions for its implementation.

They agreed to strengthen the cooperation between their countries in this new context.

"The visit to Iran by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on July 29 is intended to begin this evolution," said the statement.

Hollande further expressed his hope that Iran will contribute positively to the resolution of crises in the Middle East.

German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel paid a visit to Tehran on Sunday, which took place a few days after the nuclear deal.

Gabriel was the first high-ranking Western politician to visit Iran after the deal -- in a three-day trip, during which he was accompanied by a high-level business delegation, which included the executives of largest German companies, including technology giant Siemens and chemical producer BASF.

Iran and the P5+1 group of countries — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany — signed a final agreement in Vienna last Tuesday, bringing to a close nearly two years of contentious talks that focused on providing Tehran with dire needed sanctions relief in return for unprecedented curbs and inspections on its nuclear program.