TEHRAN – The July 14 agreement clinched between Iran and the 5+1 group of world powers over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program has laid the groundwork for closer international cooperation, the Spanish foreign minister has said.

Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Monday.

Hailing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Margallo said his country is considering cooperation with Iran in all areas, underscoring that the foreign ministries of Iran and Spain are to exchange delegations and sign a memorandum of understanding on mutual cooperation.

Spain can be a good economic and political partner for Iran, he said.

Margallo also referred to considerable historical and cultural commonalities between Madrid and Tehran, saying as the fourth economic power in the European Union and the second big investor in Latin America, Spain is highly interested to expand its economic ties with Iran.

Margallo arrived in Tehran on Sunday along with a high-ranking Spanish delegation including Public Works Minister Ana Pastor and Industry, Energy and Tourism Minister Jose Manuel Soria accompany.

Zarif, in turn, expressed Tehran’s willingness to enhance cooperation with Madrid in different arenas. He also said during his meeting with Margallo earlier in the day, a whole range of issues were brought up for discussion during the talks.

“I had various political and regional discussions with the Spanish foreign minister, and we talked about a railroad, transportation and economic infrastructure,” Zarif said.

He said he and his opposite number also discussed human rights and refugees’ rights as well as the situation in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan as well as the Yemen crisis.

The Iranian foreign minister also touched upon the Syria crisis, saying the crisis can be settled only through political means.

It is only up to the Syrians to decide on the country’s head of state, Zarif said. “Only Syrian people have the right to make decisions about the Syrian president, and those who have set conditions for the Syrian president over the past two or three years have perpetuated the war in Syria.”

He urged all foreign governments which have hampered the establishment of peace in Syria to “stop their actions and not to pursue their short-term interests at the expense of Syrian people.”

“These countries are to blame for all the bloodshed in Syria because they made the decision that Syrian people should have made. They [the outsiders] intended to impose their decision on Syrian people from outside,” Zarif asserted.

“They should let Syrian people return to stability, so that the crisis of war refugees will end,” Zarif said.

MD/P