TEHRAN – Vienna’s ambassador to Tehran Stefan Scholz on Tuesday visited several travel attractions in Kermanshah province, western Iran.

Scholz, who was accompanied by his family and some embassy staff, toured the UNESCO-registered Bisotun and Taq-e Bostan amongst other sites, CHTN reported.

Inscribed into the base of a towering cliff, Taq-e Bostan comprises extraordinary Sassanian bas-reliefs of ancient victorious kings divide opinions, while Bisotun is a patchwork of immense yet impressive life-size carvings depicting the king Darius I and several other figures.  It was the first cuneiform writing that was deciphered in the 19th century.

On the sidelines of this visit, the Austrian envoy expressed his satisfaction over sightseeing in the province, the report said.

Regarding the visits, a local tourism official noted that visits by foreign diplomats and authorities to Kermanshah province’s attractions could motivate more international arrivals in the region.

Scholz said in October that he believes U.S. sanctions against Iran will be no obstacle in the path of Austrian tourists to travel to the Islamic Republic.

“Austrian arrivals in Iran is not affected by the sanctions and threats,” the envoy told ISNA.

In an interview with the Tehran Times in September, the ambassador remained commonalities and the history of relations between the two nations, saying “Austria and Iran have a long history in common. It’s an incredible special profile that distinguishes us from many other countries. We have 700 years of documented contacts, 500 years of partnership and about 60 years of full diplomatic relations.”

In November 2018, the Trump administration reinstated sanctions on Iran, mainly the ones that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, in order to batter Iran’s economy.

AFM/MG