Iran Reiterates Africa’s Significance in Its Policies

Date: 09 September 2022 - 21:57

News ID: ۱۰۶۷۲۴

TEHRAN – Iran will proceed with efforts to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine, reiterating the need to end the crisis through political means, Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian says.

In a telephone conversation on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian and his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor talked about the most pressing issues on the agenda of expanding bilateral ties and some regional and international issues.

“We will continue our efforts to establish ceasefire in Ukraine, and our principled position is to oppose war and to end the Ukraine crisis via political means,” the top Iranian diplomat said.

The minister touched on the importance of Africa in Iran’s foreign policy, saying Tehran is firmly resolved to expand ties with the continent, especially with South Africa.

He pointed to preparations for holding the 15th Joint Economic Commission of Iran and South Africa, hoping that the numerous opportunities and capacities of the two nations would be used more than ever.

There has been good cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy for a long time, he added, noting that Iran is ready to further bolster such cooperation in the other areas of mutual interest.

The top Iranian diplomat then thanked South Africa for its stance in support of Palestine and the oppressed Palestinian people.

For her part, Pandor pointed to the important standing of Iran and its huge potentials. She also thanked Tehran for its efforts to hold a new meeting of the Joint Economic Commission and underlined the need to implement bilateral agreements reached during the previous rounds of the commission’s meetings.

Referring to Iran’s important role in mediating in the Ukraine crisis, the South African foreign minister stressed that a truce in Ukraine is vital for all parties and the international community because the ramifications of the war have caused food and energy crises in some countries.

She then expressed hope that the concerns of Russia and Ukraine would be addressed through dialogue.

Speaking about the sanctions removal talks, the South African minister said she was hopeful that the negotiations will soon produce positive results.

The two top diplomats then discussed the latest state of the sanctions removal talks between Iran and the P4+1 group of countries, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website reported.