By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

“Iran respects Africa for the sake of Africa (and the African people) in contrast to the pillage of the African continent by the West.” 
These were the words of President Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi in his address in Tehran on April 26 at the Second Iran-Africa International Economic Conference that was attended by high-ranking representatives of most of the 55 member African Union, including economic ministers from over 30 African states.
The first such conference was held more than a decade ago, which means the long gap that followed it was unfortunately one of missed opportunities after the excellent upsurge in Iran’s relations with the majority of African countries in line with the principled policies of the Islamic Revolution.
Anyway, President Raisi deserves the credit for reviving multi-varied ties with African states. 
His visit last year to Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, followed in February this year to South Africa and in March to Algeria for the summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, has again brightened growth of Tehran’s relations with Africa, where in its south, east, and west, it had become active on a grand scale in the economic, industrial, agricultural, fisheries, cultural, political, and religious sectors following the triumph of the Islamic Revolution and the enthusiasm of the African people for the dynamic ideas of Imam Khomeini (RA).
The Iranian president in his address on Friday that was applauded by the participants, highlighted among other aspects of cooperation, what he called “agricultural diplomacy”, which involves growing crops in different countries and importing them to Iran.
It is worth noting that African countries need fuel, energy, technology, technical know-how and mechanization for upgrading agricultural products, in addition to developing infrastructural projects such as road construction, mining, overhauling of refineries, extraction of gas, and etc.
In contrast to the West, which has held Africa, especially the sub-Saharan states, in thralldom for centuries, on the basis of its racist approach, the Islamic Republic of Iran with its policy of respect for humanitarian values, can play a positive role in exporting technical and engineering services to these countries.
During the past year Iran has witnessed considerable growth in the export of its products to African countries, including Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Djibouti and Morocco (even though the latter in opposition to the inclinations of its Muslim masses and because of its unnatural ties with the illegal Zionist entity has severed diplomatic ties with Tehran). 
The Islamic Republic last year imported food and agricultural products such as tea, corn, coffee, tobacco, cereals, fishery products and minerals (manganese stone, zinc soil and rock, chrome concentrate) and industrial lubricant and grease, chemicals and machinery from various African states.
In view of these facts and in order to compete with other countries vying for a share in Africa’s economy, it is necessary for Iran to review and remove the cumbersome and ineffective regulations and tariffs.
The Islamic Republic, which enjoys cordial ties with all African people, (whether Muslims or Christians, whether the light-skinned northerners or the dark-skinned southerners), ought to focus on a healthy share in the 600-billion annual economy of Africa.