FM in China to Pursue Strategic Subjects in Bilateral Relations

EghtesadOnline: Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who is in Beijing at the head of a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday.

News ID: ۷۸۷۶۲۸

15 January 2022

The two diplomats discussed a range of bilateral and international issues, including the latest status of the 25-year strategic partnership plan that China and Iran signed in March 2021 to boost economic and political relations, IRNA reported.

Amir-Abdollahian had said upon arrival that the purpose of his trip was to hold talks with Chinese authorities about Tehran-Beijing political ties as well as ways of implementing economic cooperation agreements.

He highlighted his multiple contacts with the Chinese foreign minister over the past few months, along with communications at presidential level, describing them as indications of the importance and growth of bilateral relations.

“There is good coordination and variety in our mutual ties and we have had very good progress in line with the interests of both sides,” he said.

“Strategic subjects are on the agenda of both countries and these subjects have created a new literature in the two presidents’ correspondence,” he added.

New Page

In an article for the Global Times, Amir-Abdollahian noted that he is visiting China as the two countries are to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and will enter the second half of the century of bilateral exchange, which opens a new page of in their relationship.

“The visit will be a promising new horizon for our promotion and development of cooperation in various domains,” he said.

He added that the two countries’ accomplishments in the first half of the century, including the signing of a Comprehensive Cooperation Plan, the fight against the Covid-19 and the mutual support of each other’s positions in international institutions and organizations among others, have paved a new way for the second half-century of the relations.

“Now, at the birth of the second half of the century, Iran stands by China as a strategic partner with a foreign policy based on smart and balanced diplomacy, defending its regional interests and those of its neighbors.”

Amir-Abdollahian also admired China’s rational and logical approach during the negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The deal which was signed by the six world powers, was abandoned by the United States who reimposed tough sanctions on Iran as well as third parties who did business with it. Iran rolled back on its commitments a year later.

With a change of government in the US, talks began in Vienna, Austria, to revive the deal by bringing both sides back to compliance.

“China’s role … that facilitated the reconciliation process and the return of JCPOA’s violators, is really admirable,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian later listed high priority grounds for continuation of cooperation in the second half of the century, including bilateral trade, resolution of regional tensions, promotion of multilateralism, countering terrorism and extremism, implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and arrangements for Iran’s permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

“We hope that in the second half of the century of relations and in the new chapter of cooperation that is based on the consensus of the leaders of the two countries, we see more and more development of cooperation and multi-faceted promotion of relations,” he said.