WANA (Apr 23) – Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is visiting Beijing at the official invitation of his Chinese counterpart, met this morning with Mr. Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and the First Vice Premier of the country, at the Great Hall of the People.

 

During the meeting, both sides referred to the long-standing friendship between the two nations, reviewed the latest status of cooperation under the Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and exchanged views on accelerating the implementation of the 25-year Comprehensive Cooperation Plan.

 

Highlighting China as a strategic and trustworthy partner of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Araghchi stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels — including within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.

 

Araghchi elaborated on Iran’s “Asia-centric” foreign policy and regional and international developments, emphasizing the need for closer coordination among like-minded countries such as Iran and China to confront bullying and unilateralism. He reaffirmed Iran’s strong determination to expand its comprehensive ties with China.

 

The Iranian Foreign Minister also outlined Iran’s stance on regional and international developments, particularly warning of the grave consequences of the ongoing genocide by the Israeli regime in occupied Palestine, the regime’s militarism in surrounding regions, and repeated U.S. aggressions against Yemen. He called for an urgent and effective global response to halt lawlessness and prevent the rule of the jungle from dominating international relations.

 

During the talks, Araghchi briefed Mr. Ding on the status of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States, emphasizing that despite bitter past experiences, the Islamic Republic of Iran has entered the diplomatic path with goodwill and seriousness.

 

Mr. Ding Xuexiang expressed satisfaction with the growing, all-encompassing relations between Iran and China, describing the strategic partnership as a result of mutual trust, respect, and shared interests between the two nations. He reaffirmed China’s leadership’s commitment to further advancing bilateral ties and cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

 

He also underscored the importance of enhanced coordination and interaction between Iran and China to uphold multilateralism and the rule of law on the international stage, characterizing the Iran-China partnership as a valuable model of South-South cooperation.

 

The First Vice Premier reiterated China’s support for Iran’s efforts to lift sanctions and continue nuclear-related negotiations.