Rouhani reschedules Euro trip cancelled by Paris attacks

TEHRAN: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani will travel to Italy and France next week after his visit scheduled in November was cancelled following the deadly Paris attacks, state television reported. Rouhani's visit to Italy and then France, his first European tour since Iran secured a historic nuclear deal with world powers, will now be held between January 25 and 27. He had been due to visit France on November 16-17 but the trip was postponed after jihadist attacks in Paris just three days before killed 130 people. Rouhani condemned the Paris attacks as "crimes against humanity". On his trip, he will meet the Italian and French presidents, Sergio Mattarella and Francois Hollande, and also possibly Pope Francis in what would be his first visit to Vatican, the report said. The tour is an opportunity for rapprochement and renewed trade ties in the wake of July's landmark nuclear deal following years of strain between Tehran and the West. It comes even at a better time for Iran than the previous cancelled visit, as the United States and the European Union lifted crippling sanctions following the entry into force of the nuclear deal on Saturday. Gerard Larcher, head of the French Senate, who visited Tehran on December 19, said he hoped the visit would be "the starting point of stronger relations" between Paris and Tehran. The president will also meet top industry owners and business leaders. --AFP