BAMAKO (Dispatches) -- Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday arrived in this Malian capital on the first leg of his three-nation Africa tour, which will later take him to Tanzania and Zanzibar. The top Iranian diplomat is leading a high-ranking political and economic delegation on the high-profile tour. A group of the representatives of several private sector companies also is also accompanying him during his visit. He was welcomed by his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop upon arrival at Bamako’s international airport on Tuesday. The Malian foreign minister called the visit a sign of 

Iran’s will to enhance its ties with the African country.
Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that Tehran seeks all-out expansion of relations with Mali and has special plans for this purpose.
He is scheduled to meet with Mali’s president, before he departs for Tanzania on Wednesday.
The visit is part of a wider policy roadmap in Iran. The foreign ministry says Tehran is looking to expand ties with African nations including Mali in the fields of economy, banking, and trade.