Iran, Netherlands to expand consular, popular relations

At a joint meeting in The Hague, diplomats from Iran and the Netherlands voiced their resolve to further develop bilateral relations between the two countries, AVA Diplomatic reports.

The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Netherlands and the newly appointed Dutch ambassador to Iran pledged to develop consular relations between the two countries to ease and broaden people-to-people relations between the two countries with a perspective of the future in mind.

The agreement was reached during the fourth joint consular meeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Netherlands in The Hague. The meeting was chaired by Ali Chegini, the Director General of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, and the Director General of the Consular and Visa Policies of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague.

The two sides voiced their content with the progress made in the expansion of bilateral ties between the two countries and called for further deepening of ties.

The two sides also discussed and reached agreements in areas of bilateral consular and immigration cooperation, judiciary cooperation, easing visa issuance for businessmen, investors, and elites, as well as fighting drug trafficking and informing the other side on the conditions of the citizens of each side residing in the other country.

They also exchanged views on academic cooperation and decided to broaden services provided to the students and professors of the two countries to enjoy exchange programs and funds.

Iranian diplomats, moreover, referred to Iran’s firm stance on drug trafficking and war on narcotics and drug abuse and voiced readiness to increase Iranians’ measures against narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan to Europe.

“It is necessary for the Netherlands and Europe to contribute more to this campaign,” Iranian diplomats asserted in the meeting.

Iranian and Dutch diplomats further agreed to set up follow-up sessions to monitor the course of implementation of the brokered agreements.