Raisi hails growing ties with Africa
Iran ready to share capabilities with African states
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi says the Islamic Republic and the African nations are keen to strengthen ties between the two sides, noting that enhanced ties can form a complementary economy.
Raisi made the remarks during the 2nd Iran & Africa International Economic Conference on Friday at Tehran’s International Conference Center.
“This meeting is a symbol of the will of African nations and Iran to expand economic ties,” he told the gathering that hosted representatives from 30 African countries.
Raisi hailed the conference, which opened on Thursday, as an opportunity for both Iran and the African nations to get familiar with their mutual capacities.
“Despite threats and sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made good progress. The Islamic Republic can be called an advanced and technological country,” he said, stressing that getting familiar with the achievements of Iran in the field of emerging technologies is of “great importance.”
The president said Iran seeks to maintain ties with Africa based on mutual interest, unlike many Western countries that have “plundered” Africa’s resources. “Westerners want Africa for themselves but we want Africa for Africa.”
Tehran believes that Africa has skilled labor forces and can achieve progress in many fields, including emerging technologies, he stressed. Raisi stressed the importance of formulating roadmaps for cooperation between Iran and the African continent and for cooperation between Iran and each African nation, with defined timelines.
He also emphasized the necessity of removing obstacles that hinder the two sides from expanding ties, including the problem of transfer of funds.
If Iran’s and Africa’s capacities are combined, “a complementary economy will be formed,” he stressed.
Pointing to the necessity of knowing the capacities in African countries, the existence of extensive mines and resources in these countries along with the technology to exploit the mines in Iran, Raisi added extraterritorial cultivation and supplying resources for production and industrial centers at reasonable prices are another area of cooperation with Africa.
Senior officials, including economy ministers, are taking part in this edition of the conference that will wrap up its activities on Monday.
Mutual interests with
Burkina Faso
Iran seeks mutual interests of the Iranian and the African nations, Raisi said in a meeting with Prime Minister of Burkina Faso Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem on the sidelines of the conference on Friday.
He emphasized the need to speed up the establishment of mechanisms to strengthen relations between Iran and Burkina Faso, including the activation of the joint commission of the two countries.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to cooperate, interact and exchange its capabilities with African countries, including Burkina Faso, he said, adding that the development of these relations will benefit the nations of the two countries.
The prime minister of Burkina Faso, for his part, referred to the Western media’s attempt to present a false and distorted image of the Islamic Republic of
Iran.
Contrary to Western propaganda, Iran is an independent, developing and advanced country, which relies on the attractiveness of this country to develop and strengthen relations with it in all fields, he said.
The PM also emphasized his country’s interest in expanding cooperation and interaction with the Islamic Republic of Iran in communications, mining, agriculture, animal husbandry, transportation, scientific and cultural, knowledge-based, and energy fields.
Implementation of
Tehran-Harare pacts
In another meeting with Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga on the same day, Raisi said Iran’s view of Africa is a strategic one based on collective interests noting that Tehran and Harare enjoy very good relations as the high officials of the two countries to improve the level of
cooperation.
Speaking for his part, Chiwenga noted that his country and Iran are seeking to expedite the implementation of the economic cooperation signed last year amid rising interest from the Middle East economic powerhouse to invest in Africa.
VP Chiwenga told journalists after the meeting that Zimbabwe is following up on the operationalization of the 12 agreements signed when President Raisi visited the southern African country last year.
“Firstly, we were congratulating President Raisi for hosting the Iran-Africa International Economic Conference which will mutually benefit the parties involved,” said Chiwenga.
“Iran has advanced economically and its cooperation with Africa will bring growth impetus to the economies involved.
“We are the builders of our own economies and we really want to see development. From our end, we are following up on the implementation of the agreements signed last year,” said the VP.