Germany's Steinmeier to travel to Iran in October

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday he plans to travel to Iran in October, sending a strong signal that Europe's largest economy wants to quickly rebuild economic and political ties with the Islamic Republic.

Steinmeier, who will become the first German foreign minister to visit the country since 2011, said he wanted to get a first-hand impression of the situation in the country. His visit comes as relations between Tehran and the West continue to thaw weeks after they reached a historic nuclear deal.

Steinmeier's visit follows on from a three-day trip last month by Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who became the first senior figure from a large Western government to visit Tehran since it struck a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers.

British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond on Sunday reopened his country's embassy in Tehran, four years after it was stormed by protesters angry at Britain's backing of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

After meeting with Hammond on Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rowhani said Britain and Iran "should act with a new view toward the future."

Under the July 14 deal, agreed after more than a decade of negotiations, US, EU, and UN sanctions will be lifted in return for Tehran imposing long-term curbs on nuclear activities which the West has suspected are aimed at making an atomic bomb.

German exports to Iran collapsed as a result of the sanctions, leading to China replacing Germany in 2007 as the major supplier of goods to Iran.

While the nuclear deal is seen as a major opportunity by some, including US President Barack Obama, hard-liners in Washington and Tehran have opposed it, as has Israel.

Steinmeier said he understood the concerns of Israel and some Gulf countries about the agreement, but stressed that the deal would mean more, not less security, for the Middle East.

dr/jil (dpa, Reuters)