Member of Iran's Expediency Council Ali Akbar Velayati conferred on Sunday with Chairman of the Italian Senate's Foreign Policy Commission Vito Rosario Petrocelli, on issues of mutual interest along with regional and international developments.Photo:IRNA

In the meeting, the two sides also examined grounds for expansion of mutual cooperation and relations.Given historical relations between Iran and Italy, Velayati said Tehran has always welcomed talks with Italian officials.Tehran and Rome enjoy close stances on regional developments and continue talks on this issue with more seriousness, Velayati said.Both countries believe that people in west of Asia and north of Africa like other parts of the world should make their own fate and any decision taken by people in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Libya should be respected while both sides are opposed to presence of aliens interference in the region and UN code of conduct should be fully observed at international level, Velayati said.Relief aid sent to Iran by Italy indicates friendship between the two countries and hope such ties to further developed, he said.The Italian envoy, for his part expressed satisfaction over his visit to Iran and highlighted amicable ties between the two countries.Italy will stand shoulder to shoulder with Iran in difficult times, he said.