Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Iran’s expansion of economic and trade ties with Belarus can help minimise the impact of sanctions imposed by the U.S. and West on both countries.

Mr Qalibaf said this in a meeting with visiting Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei in the capital of Tehran, local media reported.

He also urged unity of all the countries under the cruel sanctions of the U.S.-led West.

According to Mr Qalibaf, in the wake of the economic war, the Eurasian Economic Union member states are required to expand cooperation among themselves to this end.

“We are witnessing the West’s double-standard behaviour as terrorists are perpetrating acts of terror in the Middle East. This comes as the West and the United States were the ones to have created the Islamic State in the region,’’ he said, pointing to a “terrorist attack’’ on a holy shrine in southern Iran on Wednesday that killed 15 and injured 19.

For his part, the Belarusian minister condemned the attack, calling for punishing those behind the attack.

Mr Makei said Belarus, which adopts independent domestic and foreign policies, was opposed to imposing sanctions and illegal pressures on any country.

Belarus sees Iran as its friend and will make efforts to move toward forming a more strategic partnership with Tehran, he added.