Baku, Azerbaijan, March 5
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani has called for enhanced cooperation with South Africa in both economic and political fields, IRIB reported on March 5.
In a meeting with the South African parliament vice speaker in the city of Cape Town, Larijani said the two sides should double efforts to expand economic ties.
The South African official hailed Iran's advancement in different scientific and engineering fields.
During his two-day stay, Larijani is scheduled to visit South African president and parliament speaker and some other high ranking officials.
In October 2013, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic attaches great significance to its relations with African countries, including South Africa, Press TV reported.
"South Africa is one of the important countries in the African continent, one of the key players of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and an active and influential country on the international stage," Zarif said, adding that, "Tehran attaches great importance to its relations with Pretoria."
He said that Iran welcomed the further enhancement of the ties with the African country, expressing hope that both countries' private and state sectors would help boost mutual economic, trade and technical ties.