TEHARN - Iran’s Minister of Agriculture has declared that the Islamic Republic does not view Africa as a mere marketplace for selling goods or a source of raw materials, but rather regards African nations as vital strategic partners for joint investment, shared production, and mutual economic prosperity.
Speaking at the First National Conference on Iran-Africa Agricultural Cooperation on Saturday, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh emphasized that agricultural ties between Iran and Africa must evolve beyond preliminary discussions into concrete, operational, and lasting partnerships.
“Iran-Africa agricultural cooperation must move from introducing capacities to defining projects, from memorandums of understanding to executive contracts, and from sporadic exchanges to sustainable partnerships in production, technology, and trade,” Nouri Ghezeljeh stated.
Addressing over 200 economic activists, foreign ambassadors, and trade attachés, the minister stressed that the political will to expand Iran-Africa relations must be translated into specific, measurable outcomes.
He underscored that food security and people’s livelihoods must never be used as tools for political pressure, calling for cooperation built on mutual respect, rejection of unilateralism, and opposition to aggression.
The minister highlighted Iran’s extensive capabilities in irrigation and water management, greenhouse production, agricultural machinery, seed technology, livestock breeding, veterinary vaccines, fisheries, and processing industries, all of which can complement Africa’s significant agricultural potential in crops, tropical products, and rapidly growing markets.
Nouri Ghezeljeh also criticized the United States for its warmongering policies, stating that Washington’s aggressive actions have severely disrupted global food security, driving food prices up by as much as 23 percent and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations worldwide.
He expressed hope that the U.S. would return to a rational path and contribute to ending wars that have placed enormous pressure on global nutrition and food systems.
While trade between Iran and Africa reached approximately $940 million in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year—marking a 66 percent increase compared to the same period last year—the minister noted that this figure remains modest relative to the vast potential of a market exceeding one billion people.
He called on the private sector to take the lead in defining and executing projects, while affirming that the government’s role is to facilitate, remove obstacles, and provide clear regulations, reliable transportation, practical payment mechanisms, and predictable legal frameworks.
The minister concluded by emphasizing that the true measure of success would not be the number of meetings held or documents signed, but rather the contracts executed, the projects completed, and the tangible value delivered to producers and citizens on both sides.
The conference comes amid a broader strategic push by Tehran to deepen ties with the African continent.
Over the past several years, Iran has held multiple Iran-Africa cooperation summits, established joint economic commissions with numerous African nations, and expanded its diplomatic and trade outreach as part of a deliberate foreign policy shift toward the Global South.
The Fourth Iran-Africa Cooperation Summit is scheduled to be held next month, further solidifying this trajectory.