Iran ready for cooperation with ASEAN: Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has voiced the Islamic Republic’s readiness to enhance cooperation with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In a Monday meeting with Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam in Tehran, Zarif highlighted the position of Singapore in the ASEAN and said Tehran is ready for bilateral cooperation with the association.

ASEAN is a political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia. It was formed on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

He also described collaboration between the ASEAN and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) as significant.

Zarif further pointed to the Iranian administration’s policy of constructive interaction with the world and hoped that the Singaporean minister’s visit to Tehran would lead to the expansion of ties between Iran and Singapore.

He also called for cultural and parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.

The Singaporean minister, for his part, hailed the good ties between his country and Iran in political and international arenas.

He underlined the significance of the great economic potentials for bilateral cooperation, and said Singaporean firms are willing to cooperate with Iran.

K Shanmugam further said that ASEAN member states are keen on cooperation with the Islamic Republic, adding that Singapore is ready to act as a bridge between Tehran and ASEAN.

He also officially invited Zarif to pay a visit to Singapore.

Zarif and his Singaporean counterpart also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf and East Asia.