Iran intelligence minister travels to Germany
Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi has made an unannounced trip to Germany, with observers describing the unprecedented trip — about which little detail has been made public — as highly significant.
According to a brief press release that appeared on the website of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry on Tuesday, Minister Alavi and his accompanying delegation traveled to the Federal Republic of Germany at the invitation of “pertinent authorities” in the European country.
The timing of the trip was not made available.
In Berlin, Alavi “met with German intelligence officials and discussed issues of mutual interest,” according to the press release.
The minister also met with personnel at the Iranian Embassy in Berlin.
The unprecedented visit by the Iranian intelligence minister to the heart of Europe comes at a sensitive juncture when the Takfiri terrorist group of Daesh has been posing a growing threat to countries worldwide. While mainly operating in the Middle East, Daesh has managed to strike Europe, including Germany, and America in blind terrorist attacks in the recent past.
Iran, meanwhile, has been on the forefront of the fight against Daesh. The Islamic Republic has been offering advisory military assistance to Iraq and Syria, the two Middle Eastern countries that have lost territory to Daesh and that are worst hit by the outfit’s terrorist activities.
Iran and Germany have been enhancing their ties since the administration of President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in 2013. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has made two trips to Iran ever since — initially in October 2015, which was a first such visit in 12 years, and then in February 2016.
Steinmeier has described Iran as key to the stability of the Middle East.
In June, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif traveled to Berlin to talk to senior German officials.
Germany is one of Iran’s international partners in a nuclear deal that was concluded in July 2015.
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