Senior Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Hassan Asafari says the Islamic Republic welcomes engagement with all countries in the world if they are sincere in their words and deeds, Press TV reports.

“We welcome expansion of ties with all countries; we have never been hostile towards any country,” Asafari told Press TV on Sunday.

Asafari made the remarks after Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on July 16 that, “We will respond in good faith to positive action by Iran.”

“We are ready to improve our relations on a step-by-step basis,” Hague added.

Asafari said, “Today’s world is a world of dialog and understanding, but since the British government has always been behind conspiracies against the country, the Iranian nation is skeptical about their slogans of better ties with Iran.”

“But at the same time, the Iranian nation is very forgiving, provided that the British officials would be sincere in their words and actions,” he added.

Mousa Ahmadi, another Iranian lawmaker, told Press TV that, “If the British officials respect the Islamic Republic of Iran, its people and its administration which comes to power through public vote, we respect them in return.”

Earlier on July 4, former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw embraced the election of Hassan Rohani as Iran’s new president and said, “What I have been urging the government is that we do our best to reengage with Iranians, because there is a chance now that we can.”He also expressed willingness to travel to Iran to help restore Tehran-London ties.

Rohani secured an outright victory in the June 14 presidential election with 50.7 percent of the votes. The poll was marked by a high 72.7-percent voter turnout.

The Iranian president-elect has pledged to seek “constructive interaction” with the world through a policy of moderation.