President of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) Bakir Izetbegović received the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Bosnia and Herzegovina Gholamrez Alimohammad Ghelichkhan in an inaugural visit, the party said in a statement.

At the meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the current situation in both countries.

Ambassador Ghelichkhan conveyed greetings to Izetbegović from the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Izetbegović briefed Ambassador Ghelichkhan on the results of the local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a special focus on the results of the SDA.

Izetbegović expressed gratitude to Iran for the help and support provided to Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially during the period of defense against aggression. He pointed out the existence of problems in relations within the country, which remained as part of the legacy of the past war, but also the significant progress that has been made despite these problems.

Speaking about the priorities, he singled out the need to strengthen the rule of law and fight corruption, build infrastructure and make further progress on the Euro-Atlantic path. He also focused on the tourism, trade and energy sectors, especially in the construction of wind and solar power plants, as potential opportunities for Iranian investors.

Ambassador Ghelichkhan conveyed the interest of Iranian investors in strengthening cooperation, especially in the field of dairy industry, energy, but also through the establishment of free economic zones that would enable more intensive and productive cooperation of businessmen from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran.