Hollande, Rouhani agree to boost cooperation after nuclear deal

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (L) attends a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival in Ufa, Russia, the early hours of July 9, 2015. Ufa hosts the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summits on July 9-10. REUTERS/BRICS/SCO Photohost/RIA Novosti

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande agreed in a phone conversation with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Thursday to reinforce bilateral cooperation between the countries after last week's nuclear deal in Vienna, Hollande's office said. "(French Foreign Minister) Laurent Fabius' visit to Iran on July 29 is aimed at initiating this development," Hollande's office said in a statement. Hollande said during the conversation with Rouhani that he wanted Iran to make a positive contribution to solving crises in the Middle East, according to the statement. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Leigh Thomas and Ralph Boulton)