UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday praised Iran’s new government for promoting dialogue with the international community.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday praised Iran's new government for promoting dialogue with the international community.

Ban, who is scheduled to meet next week with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, made the remarks after what he said was a "very good meeting" with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"I told Minister Zarif that I commend the efforts of the new government in Iran in promoting dialogue with the international community," he said.

He said he told Zarif he was pleased Iran "is now taking concrete steps to fulfil the promises made by President Rouhani during his recent election campaign."

Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said the secretary general and Zarif had discussed Iran's growing cooperation on a variety of issues, including its nuclear program and the role Tehran could play in promoting a political solution to the conflict in Syria.