Tasnim � The foreign minister of Iran and the president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) discussed ways to employ parliamentary mechanisms for the settlement of regional tensions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the visiting president of IPU, Gabriela Cuevas Barron, held a meeting in Tehran on Sunday.

In the gathering, the two officials voiced readiness for closer cooperation between Iran and the IPU, with both emphasizing the need for using the capacity of national parliaments and the IPU in order to strengthen cooperation among the member states.

They also discussed plans to employ parliamentary mechanisms to relieve regional tensions and press ahead with plans to broaden regional cooperation.

Cuevas Barron also held separate meetings with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in the visit to Tehran.

The IPU is an international organization that brings together representatives of parliaments to promote contacts, coordination and exchange of experiences among parliamentarians.

It has standing committees on Peace and International Security, Democracy and Human Rights, United Nations Affairs as well as Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade.