BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 16
Trend:
Iranian Foreign Minister said Tehran-Beijing relations have achieved significant progress in the last half-century so that Iran and China became reliable mutual partners.
"Exchanges between Iran and China have a long history and the two countries preserve their trade through the ancient Silk Road,” the Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote in a memo to the People's newspaper of China, Trend reports citing IRNA.
Recalling that in January 2016, Iran-China relations were upgraded to the level of strategic partnership, the Foreign Minister said that "The leaders of the two countries have repeatedly stressed that friendly relations between the two countries will not be affected by the changes in the international situation.”
"Iran-China relations has been proved over a long period of time, especially in the difficult period of the Coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
Emphasizing Iran and China's commitment to a politically independent foreign policy, Zarif said: "The two countries pursue economic cooperation and support each other in international affairs."
He cited the "Belt and Road initiative" as China's most important step in playing a global role, and said that Iran was actively involved in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and hoped to play a greater role in it.
“Undoubtedly, the development of Iran-China relations is based on mutual respect for sovereignty and independence,” said Zarif.