'For me the most important international problems are Daesh and extremism with their influence on the Middle East and Europe and the whole world and I believe if all countries in the region desire peace and development there is no other way to achieve it but to destroy Daesh. However, unfortunately there are certain countries in the region that don't want it. It's time for international countries to work together with Iran and other governments to confront Daesh,' said Zirganos in an interview with IRNA on the sidelines of his visit to IRNA head office.
Asked about Yemen and its developments, Zirganos said Yemen is a country far away from Europe and is hence not an issue of interest to European states.
He said three years ago Europe didn't care what's happening in Syria but now that refugees are flowing to Europe, they have come to care about conditions in Syria.
Elsewhere in the interview, the Greek journalist said he was impressed by 'very innovative, modern and very progressive' ideas of IRNA Managing Director Mohammad Khoddadi.
He said the IRNA chief looks into future and does not stay in present time. 'This was a very good point for me. Usually directors of the state media are old styled bureaucrats. this is not the case with the IRNA chief.'
He said he is visiting Iran for a second time and he is now impressed by dynamics in IRNA newsroom as a journalist .
He added that IRNA staff seemed to be professional as he entered newsroom which looked as an 'impressive' newsroom.
He noted that he was also impressed by presence of women in the news agency.
He opined that in the West there is wrong perception on the role of women in Iran which is not true.
He regretted that there is wrong perception on Iran in the west for two reasons: One is political, which is because of propaganda and it's information war that lots of foreign media are using against Iran.
The second reason, he added, is isolation of Iran because of the embargo. 'West doesn't know Iran. It doesn't know people of Iran. It is a great country as its people are.'
'The media overseas falsely imagine Iranians hold Klashnikov and that women are tortured but that's not true.'
He announced that he strongly believed that there is the capacity for exchanges between Iran and Greece in any field and for collaboration in any field, including in the fields of culture, sports, science, media and everything in general. 'We can understand and know each other.'
He said that after sanctions relief Iran can show to the world its real faith.
'This is very impressive. After lifting of sanctions Iran can show to the world its real faith.'
He reiterated that it was for the second time he was in Iran. 'For the first time I was in Iran at the time of presidential elections three years ago . I was impressed by the democratic process of the elections. The elections featured difference of opinion and all were allowed to compete and cast vote freely.'
He said his attitude towards Iran has changed after his visit to Iran.
'During my Iran visit I was free to go to people and ask them about everything. I was very free with people and they expressed their ideas and I had no fear to tell ideas of the people to government officials . This is something not found in any country.'
Interview by Behnaz Hosseingholipour
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Tehran, April 25, IRNA – Foreign news editor at a Greek newspaper Nikola Zirganos said on Sunday that Daesh and extremism are the most important international problem and the key to the issue is to wipe them out through international cooperation.
