ROME -- Italian Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle East and Africa Lougi Mantica said here Saturday that Iran is a trustworthy partner of Italy in the Middle East.

Meeting Iranian Ambassador to Rome Bahram Qassemi, he added that Italian officials stress expansion of the ties with Iran in all areas. On another issue he alluded to the unstable situation in the region, adding "the Italian government follows a balanced policy in the Middle East crisis."

Qassemi referred to need for Tehran and Rome to continue consultations on bilateral, regional and international issues.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the Italian Senate Lamberto Dini on Wednesday highlighted Iran's role in regional developments, and called for the expansion of Tehran-Rome ties in all areas.

Dini, who was speaking at a meeting in Rome with Qasemi, said Italy's cooperation with the Islamic Republic, as a key regional country, can help defuse tensions in the Middle East.

He lashed out at U.S. unilateral policy regarding the issue of Iraq, and said any solution to the Iraqi crisis and other regional dilemmas must be devised without any need for violence, and should be implemented through UN approaches.

Dini further criticized the European Union for failing to play an efficient role in easing the Middle East tensions.

The former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs further extended an invitation to Vice Speaker of the Iranian Majlis (Parliament) Mohammadreza Khatami to visit Italy.

Qasemi, for his part, underscored the need for the crisis of Iraq to be solved by adopting UN approaches, and peaceful means, IRNA reported.