TEHRAN Italy's Minister of Industry, Commerce and Handicrafts Enrico Letta, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Tehran on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters at the Tehran airport, he underlined the need for expansion of mutual relations, calling Tehran as among Italy's major trading partner.

One hundred Italian businessmen, industrialists, managers of financial institutes as well as a number of bankers are accompanying the minister during the three-day visit to Tehran.

The visit is in response to an invitation extended by Iran-Italy Chamber of Commerce in Rome. Italy is considered as Iran's biggest trading partner in Europe. The trade exchanges between the two countries stood at $2 billion last year.

Economic observers consider visits to Tehran by high-ranking Italian political and economic officials as a sign of the willingness of the Italian government as well as the private sector to broaden economic and political relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

(IRNA)