Iran for all-out ties with Africa

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has stressed the significance of boosting ties with African countries as a principle in the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy.

“Relations between Iran and African countries have had a special position in the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy over recent decades. Iran intends to promote relations with Africa in all fields, particularly in economic areas,” Mottaki said in a meeting with Sudanese presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Saturday.

He pointed to growing ties between Tehran and Khartoum in mutual, regional and international fields and called for the continuation of consultations between the two sides to further enhance cooperation.

The top Iranian diplomat said Tehran and Khartoum should make efforts to cement unity in Sudan and among all Muslim countries.

The Sudanese official, for his part, expressed hope the Islamic Republic and Sudan would take steps towards promoting political, economic and cultural cooperation.

He praised Iran’s wise diplomacy on international issues and said all plots against the Islamic Republic have failed.

During the meeting, Mottaki and Osman Ismail exchanged views on the latest developments and common concerns of the Muslim world, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement.

They also discussed issues surrounding the Persian Gulf region, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan.