TEHRAN -- Swiss Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss said on Sunday that Bern would respect the independence of the Islamic Republic of Iran and emphasized that that Switzerland has set no preconditions on human rights for developing its ties Tehran.

Switzerland seeks opportunity to express its views of human rights to Iran and Bern maintains that international standards of human rights should be respected and this is not an intervention in Iranian internal affairs, Deiss said during a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.

Deiss told reporters he was "satisfied with the progress" of Iran on human rights.

Kharrazi also noted that the Islamic Republic was open to dialogue with the West on human rights as long as religious values were taken into account.

"We have always said we should discuss human rights in order to have a better understanding," Kharrazi said.

Kharrazi responded by spelling out that the death penalty "exists in Iran as an Islamic rule", and pointed out it was also practiced widely in the United States.

Kharrazi also said that despite a slight change of tone in U.S. rhetoric toward Iran recently, the two countries remained at odds as before even with a more distrust existing between them.

"Since Afghanistan events and American way of behavior towards Iran after them, distrust (between Iran and U.S.) has increased. We have however noticed a change in the American tone, but this does not mean problems between the two countries have been resolved," he noted.

The two foreign ministers also ruled out speculation that Deiss may have been carrying a message from the U.S. government in his visit, stressing that the trip was only aimed at bolstering ties between Tehran and Bern.

"Mr. Deiss is visiting as the foreign minister of Switzerland and not as the representative of America," Kharrazi said, adding "differences between Iran and America are still remaining and no effective step has been taken".

Tehran and Washington have held no diplomatic relation since Iranian students' storming of the American Embassy here, known as the Den of Espionage, in 1979 and holding its workers hostage for 444 days. Switzerland has been taking charge of American interests in Iran since then.

U.S. President George W. Bush raised heckles in the world after he lumped Iran into an 'axis of evil' along with North Korea and Iraq, despite Tehran's cooperation in the ouster of Taleban in Afghanistan.

Deiss said Tehran and Bern held common stances on the fight against terrorism and that Switzerland is opposed to unilateral American action against Iraq which Washington accuses of hiding its weapons of mass destruction from the UN inspectors.

The Swiss government believes that any action must be carried out under the UN auspices and it is opposed to unilateral American moves, he said, adding Iraqis must also cooperate with the United Nations on a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

Kharrazi rejected an alleged press report, citing him as saying that Iran may assist opposition Iraqi groups in a move to oust Saddam Hussein.

"This news is totally unfounded. We are basically opposed to a war and think that the Iraqi problem must be resolved through diplomatic ways and when our position is a total rejection of any military operation, there remains no room for such talks," he said.

Deiss pointed to his government's measures in the anti-terror campaign, including its approval of a law to freeze "illegal" funds of suspected terror groups in Swiss banks.

"We are responsible to be very active against terrorists and prevent them from operating," he said.

Deiss also conferred on Sunday with President Mohammad Khatami on issues of mutual interests, IRNA reported. In the meeting, President Khatami referred to the atmosphere of the past century marked by repulsion, war, poverty and discrimination and said, "Given that human conscience is seeking peace and rest the idea of dialogue among civilizations has been warmly welcomed by the world."

Expressing his regret over the appearance of the vicious phenomenon of terrorism in the beginning of the third millennium and in the year designated for dialogue among civilizations, he hoped for the prospect of a world based on cooperation, mutual respect and quest for peace.

President Khatami pointed to Iran's detente policy aiming at broadening of ties with all world countries, specially Switzerland, and said that Tehran welcomes Switzerland's presence in the process of Iran's development and progress. He underlined, "Given that Iran and Switzerland possess suitable potentials in various fields, they are in position to further develop their economic, trade and scientific ties."

Pointing to the attempts by Iranian government and nation to experiment the new initiative of religious democracy, he said that democracy is the most optimized form of government.

"We are determined to launch democracy in Iran on the basis of our historical, religious and cultural identity," he added.

At the meeting, also attended by Kharrazi, the Swiss minister conveyed the warm greetings of the president of the Swiss Confederation to President Khatami and called for broadening of mutual ties in various economic fields.

Deiss referred to Iran's decisive role in the global conventions and treaties and added that president Khatami's initiative of dialogue among civilizations is a worthwhile and efficient idea.