TEHRAN (Dispatches) - Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Larijani in a meeting with visiting Vice Chairman of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly Pak Chol-min in Tehran on Tuesday praised North Korea for exercising vigilance against the U.S.’s "unilateral” demands, stressing that Washington is not after a "true deal” with Pyongyang.
Larijani said that North Korea adopted an "intelligent” decision in the face of Washington’s "unilateral demands,” adding that "the Americans are not after striking a true deal with North Korea, but they merely want to disarm the country and put pressure on it.”
He also denounced the U.S.’s arrogant nature, adding, "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un acted properly during negotiations with the Americans and did not allow them to reach their objectives.”
Larijani further hailed North Korea’s pursuit of economic independence, expressing Iran’s keenness to boost bilateral economic ties with the East Asian country.
The North Korean official, for his part, emphasized that the Islamic Republic, under the guidance of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has stood firm against excessive U.S. demands.
Iran and North Korea, which are both under tough U.S. sanctions, should expand their cooperation in all fields, especially economy, he noted.
The official also complained about illogical and unilateral US demands during talks with North Korea, saying that the Americans threw a wrench in the discussions over the issue of sanctions.
North Korea has been the target of American and international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.