Envoy:

Iran-China Relations Promoted in Past 12 Months

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iranian Ambassador to China Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh underlined that Tehran and Beijing are enjoying very cordial relations, highlighting that the two countries further improved and strengthened ties in the past Persian calendar year (March 21, 2018-March 20, 2019).

News ID: 76397

Date: 25 March 2019 - 14:36

Keshavarzzadeh on Sunday lauded the high-level relations between Tehran and Beijing in all fields.

Iran and China enjoy cordial relations and the level of their relations was promoted in the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2019), he said.

He made the remarks in a ceremony held to celebrate Nowruz with the presence of Iranians residing in China.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the envoy referred to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani's recent visit to China and expressed the hope that the bilateral agreements between the two states be implemented in the near future.

Commenting on the recent meeting of two countries' joint economic commission, he voiced hope that the obstacles on the way of improvement of two countries' cooperation are removed.

Keshavarzzadeh described the recent sanctions against Iran as unprecedented in the past four decades and noted that in spite of sanctions, Iran can become self-sufficient in all fields.

Enemy plots against Iran are doomed to failure and they will not succeed in their efforts to disappoint people, he added.

Last week, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming said that Tehran is a significant ally of Beijing in area of commerce, adding that his country’s market needs Iranian products, specially in the fields of energy and oil.

Qian made the remarks in a conference in Beijing which was held through the efforts of Iranian Embassy on last Monday and in the presence of visiting Iranian Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand.

In the conference dubbed “Iran and China: Opportunities for Investment and Trade”,  Qian called Iran an important trade partner for China in the Middle East region, adding “the level of trade between the two countries last year was $35 billion, a significant part of which was the exports of Iran to China.”

The Chinese business official added that the two countries of Iran and China have long-standing relations and very close business and economic cooperation, stressing that the bilateral relations will increase based on the will of the two sides’ authorities.

He said the visit of Iran’s economy minister and his accompanying delegation showed that the two countries are resolute to expand relations.

He further added that the bilateral relations between Iran and China face challenges and problems, which need to be resolved through a forward-looking approach and bilateral cooperation.

The Chinese vice minister of commerce also called for support for Iranian and Chinese companies, which play an important role in bringing the two sides together.

The conference, which was held in the complex of the Iranian Embassy in Beijing, had more than 100 businesspersons from China and Iran in attendance.

Earlier on the day, Dejpasand, said that Iran is negotiating a financial and monetary agreement with China to further increase economic and commercial relations between the two countries.

He added that Iranian authorities are negotiating a financial and monetary agreement with China on using local currencies in bilateral financial transactions.

His visit aimed at attending the 17th round of Iran-China Joint Economic Commission, which was slated for March 18-19, to explore the ways for boosting bilateral ties.

“We have several programs for developing economic relations between the two countries, which will be discussed in this meeting of the joint commission,” Dejpasand said.

“We must try to develop economic relations between the two countries in the fields of trade, investment and science and technology,” the minister added.

He added, “Some of the joint projects which are being carried out between the two countries have encountered a few problems, and we are going to discuss and resolve these issues with various authorities in China.”

He also said the call for foreign investment in Iran will be one of the key issues in the talks, adding, "There are various investments being carried out by the Chinese in (Iran’s) Arvand, Tehran and Ray regions, and we are planning to expand these investments."

“We are trying to attract the Chinese side’s investment in the agricultural field, including in the areas of greenhouse and fisheries,” the economy minister said.

Dejpasand further noted that the Iranian “establishment” is willing to establish a strategic relationship with China, and that they will be consulting on long-term cooperation on the trip.

He also pointed out that a high-ranking Iranian delegation will be attending the Chinese Conference of One Belt One Road, which will be held later this year in April.

Back in late September, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York, called for broadening of mutual cooperation, specially in trade and economic fields.

"Beijing will maintain economic relations with Tehran and is committed to Iran nuclear Deal despite pressures from the US government," Wang said during the meeting on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annual session.

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