PARIS, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- France is still in favor of a "regular, direct and demanding" dialogue with Iran in the context of continuous anti-government protests in the country, the French foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
"As the minister has had the opportunity to say on several occasions, France is in favor of a regular, direct and demanding dialogue with Iran," the ministry said in a written response to the media, adding that "this dialogue includes the issue of human rights".
France is paying close attention to the situation in Iran, and "expresses its concern at the large number of victims and arrests," according to the ministry.
"These issues, like the general respect for human rights, will be at the heart of our discussions with the Iranian authorities in the coming weeks," the ministry added.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is scheduled to travel to Tehran on Friday to prepare for a planned visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Iran.
