The reopening of Iran and Britain’s respective embassies is a starting point for better relations between the countries, says Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Rouhani made the comments during a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.

“The reopening of the two countries’ embassies shall be a suitable starting point in creating dynamic and developing relations between the countries,” IRNA quoted Rouhani as saying.

The British embassy in Tehran was reopened on August 23, as was that of Iran in London. The UK closed its embassy in November 2011 following a protest against the expansion of UK sanctions outside the compound in Tehran.

Rouhani expressed concern over the spread of terrorism and insecurity throughout the world and criticized the way the world is fighting extremism. “If we do not eradicate the roots of terrorism -- even if we successfully battle it in one region -- it may spring back immediately in another.”

During the meeting, the two also talked about the required actions for removing sanctions against Iran as part of the nuclear agreement signed on July 14.

Iran and the P5+1 countries – the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – finalized the text of the nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

Under the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic.

In his turn, Cameron referred to Britain’s efforts during the course of the finalization of the JCPOA, a visit to Iran by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and sending commercial delegations to the country as goodwill gestures by the UK aiming to further relations between Tehran and London.

Also on Monday, Rouhani held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in New York where they discussed battling terrorism in the Middle East and ways for developing cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting with Putin, Rouhani again touched upon the implementation of the JCPOA, saying, “This agreement paved the way for developing and deepening collaboration between the two countries in all spheres.”

Putin reiterated that Moscow supports Iran’s right to use peaceful nuclear energy and looks forward to the complete removal of the “cruel sanctions” imposed against Tehran.