Dutch FM to visit Iran

The Hague

Holland's Foreign Minister Bert Koenders will travel to Iran on Sunday for a two-day visit - the first by a top Dutch diplomat for some 14 years.

Koenders trip, announced on Saturday by the foreign ministry, follows hot on the heels of other European ministers keen to restore links with Tehran in the wake of the historic July nuclear accord struck between the Islamic Republic and global powers.

"It's the first time in 14 years that a Dutch foreign minister is visiting Iran," the ministry said in a statement saying Koenders' trip would take place on Sunday and Monday.

He will meet Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for talks on implementing the nuclear deal, under which Iran will sharply curtail its nuclear programme in return for a gradual lifting of economic sanctions.

They will also discuss trade links, human rights and Iran's role in the upheavals in the Middle East.

Koenders said he hoped to give "fresh impetus" to his country's ties with Iran and provide "greater opportunity to talk constructively with each other."