GENEVA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is to pay an official visit to Switzerland on July 2-3, the Swiss government said on Monday.
Alain Berset, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, will receive Rouhani in Zurich with military honors.
A first meeting will take place in Bern, at which Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis and the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, will also attend, the government said in a statement.
Official talks will take place on July 3, where Switzerland will be represented by Berset, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer, Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga and Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann.
The government said a number of agreements and declarations of intent are expected to be signed during the visit, including the Iran nuclear agreement and one on the situation in the Near and Middle East.
"Also on the agenda is the question of how bilateral relations can be further developed in light of the decision by the United States to re-introduce sanctions against Iran, which had been suspended since 2016."
Switzerland's foreign ministry says that Iran is an important partner for Switzerland both politically and economically.
The two countries adopted a roadmap to intensify bilateral relations at the end of February 2016 when Schneider-Ammann paid a visit to Teheran during his year as president.
"This served as an impetus to launch or resume regular dialogue in the fields of economic and financial affairs, human rights, and justice, nuclear safety, and migration," the ministry wrote.
"The visit by the Iranian president provides an opportunity to take stock and discuss the next steps in implementing the roadmap."
