President due in China on Sunday to take part in SCO summit
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to China on August 31, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and SCO Plus summits.
According to the president’s political advisor Mehdi Sanaei, Pezeshkian will also hold meetings with the heads of countries on the sidelines of the summits, including Russian president and Chinese prime minister.
The events are expected to bring together leaders and senior officials from over 30 countries.
In a meeting focused on bilateral ties with China on Thursday, Pezeshkian described relations with China as “strategic,” adding that Iran, given its geopolitical position and international role, remains a “reliable partner” for Beijing in political, economic, and international arenas, including joint efforts to counter unilateralism.
He has voiced Iran’s readiness for “serious and constructive” cooperation with China, particularly within the framework of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
“All other areas of bilateral cooperation can be defined and pursued within the framework of interacting to advance the Belt and Road Initiative,” Pezeshkian said.
The BRI, launched by China in 2013, is a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure and development project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity across Asia, Europe and Africa.
The meeting included a review of existing agreements and infrastructure projects, as well as proposals from government agencies aimed at accelerating implementation.