Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has received Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his accompanying delegation in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Also present at the Tuesday meeting was Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

The Italian prime minister had arrived in Tehran earlier in the day at the head of a 250-strong political and economic delegation, making him the first major Western figure to travel to Iran after the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Italian foreign minister, minister of infrastructures and transports, minister of economic development, and minister of agriculture, food and forestry policies as well as businessmen and personalities from Italy’s public and private sectors are accompanying Renzi in the visit.

Six documents for cooperation were later signed during a high-level meeting presided over by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Renzi.



[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"] Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) attends a meeting between Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (R) and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Tehran, April 12, 2016. (photo by khamenei.ir)[/caption]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) attends a meeting between Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (R) and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Tehran, April 12, 2016. (photo by khamenei.ir)The trip comes three months after President Rouhani paid a visit to Italy, the Vatican and France in an important bid to rebuild relations with Europe after Iran and the P5+1 group of countries started to implement a nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), they reached on July 14, 2015.

After Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany started to implement the JCPOA on January 16, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Tehran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

During President Rouhani’s visit to Rome in January, Iran and Italy signed contracts worth up to 17 billion euros (USD 18.4 billion).

By Press TV