Hollande and Rouhani agreed to "step up bilateral cooperation concerning the implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal

French President Francois Hollande has conferred with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on "conditions for implementing" the Iran nuclear accord, Hollande's office said Thursday.

They also agreed to "step up bilateral cooperation in this new context," the presidency said in a statement.

Hollande "expressed the wish for Iran to contribute positively to the resolution of crises in the Middle East," it added.

The conversation marks the latest step by Western leaders to beef up contacts with Iran since the July 14 historic deal in Vienna.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is to visit Iran next Wednesday.

His trip follows a similar visit by German Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, who was the first top Western official to visit the country since the deal was struck.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer in September will make the first visit to Iran by a European head of state since 2004, his office said Thursday.
The visit will take place from September 7 to 9.

Iran and the P5+1 – the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – reached a conclusion on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna on July 14.