FNA- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined his country's effective role in the fight against terrorism in the region, and rapped certain regional states for their continued support for terrorist groups.

"We have always been confronting the terrorist groups in the region while a number of the regional states still support them," Zarif said in a meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in Sofia on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, he underlined Europe's major role in the attainment of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers, and said, "The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed in 10 reports that Iran has been in full compliance with its undertakings while the US is still rocking the boat."

Zarif also held a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov in Sofia on Wednesday.

During the meeting, he underlined that the grounds are prepared to increase the trade volume between the two countries to over $1bln, adding that transit, oil and gas, infrastructures and technical and engineering services are good fields for cooperation.

Zarif also stressed the need for the establishment of safe banking channels in agreement with the two countries' Central Banks and a common fund to support better ties and exchanges between the two states' private sectors.

In relevant remarks in October 2016, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Valentine Poriazov announced that the relations between Sofia and Tehran had entered a new phase.

"The new era of relations between Bulgaria and Iran needs enhancing consular cooperation," Poriazov said in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Ministry Director General for Consular Affairs Ali Chegini in Sofia.

Poriazov pointed to the recent negotiations between the two states stressing “a new chapter has been opened in bilateral relations between Tehran and Sofia making it necessary for consular cooperation to develop parallel to other areas.

He underlined that Iran and Bulgaria have the needed capacities to boost their cooperation in different fields.

Also in September 2016, a senior Bulgarian member of the European Parliament called for boosting Tehran-Sofia relations.

"Iran and Bulgaria should broaden their cooperation in different field, specially in the economic and trade fields," Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Maria Gabriel said in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Sofia Abdollah Norouzi in Bulgaria's capital.

Gabriel and Norouzi stressed the need for increasing the trade transactions between Tehran and Sofia.

The two sides also underlined the importance of enhancement of mutual cooperation between Iran and Bulgaria.