TEHRAN – President Ebrahim Raisi says Iran will remain as a reliable partner for all African nations, describing promotion of ties with Africa as a pillar of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy.
In a telephone conversation with his Senegalese counterpart on Tuesday, Raisi congratulated the people of Senegal on Africa Day, saying, “I would like to commemorate the leaders and all those who kept the torch of freedom and independence of this continent burning and carried it despite many problems and hardships.”
Highlighting the role of the African Union in countering unilateralism and colonialism, the president added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has been, and will be, a reliable partner for all African nations.”
Referring to the high technical and engineering capacities of Iran, he said, “Tehran and Dakar have good relations with each other, but this level of relations is not acceptable and should be upgraded to a suitable level.”
Raisi described relations with the African continent as one of the main axes of Iran’s foreign policy.
For his part, President of Senegal Macky Sall sent his greetings for Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and thanked the Iranian president for his congratulations on Africa Day, saying it indicates Iran’s special attention to the continent.
Referring to the history of friendly relations between the two countries, he added, “Our current relations are less than they should be and we are ready for any cooperation to improve it.”
Sall finally referred to the good cooperation between his country and the Iranian companies and said, “I have come to Iran twice and I have seen your progress in person.”