The remark was made by Special Advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Katsuyuki Kawai in a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Wednesday, during which Kawai also discussed ways to extend cooperation in various economic and business fields such as oil, gas and manufacturing sectors.
He went on to add that Japan is also keen on participating with Iran in other projects including banking and financial affairs, automobile manufacturing, environment and technology to combat air and water pollution, cultural and tourist exchanges, cooperation on peaceful nuclear technology and its protective systems, as well as the fight against terrorism and ISIL.
The visit of the Japanese delegation to Tehran aims to convey Tokyo’s serious will and determination in preparing the grounds for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to Iran, he added.
“Results of the consolidation of ties between Iran and Japan can be of great importance to stability and security in the Middle East and Asia, and will lead to the two countries’ agreement on common interests and views,” said Kawai.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, for his part, maintained that the Islamic Republic’s consultations with Japan is always progressing, saying he fully backs the results of the Feb. visit of Iranian Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Ali Tayyebnia to Tokyo in which an investment agreement was signed with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in a bid to boost economic cooperation after the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran.
“We are delighted to see the new diplomatic push by the Japanese government to revive bilateral ties,” said Zarif, adding that President Rouhani and Prime Minister Abe have already made it clear that they will open a new chapter in relations.
“The expansion in our relations will not be restricted to trade interactions; rather, the Islamic Republic seeks an all-conclusive development in political, economic, and cultural relations,” stressed Zarif, saying the increasing prosperity of Iran’s affordable and efficient workforce in the light of the country’s advancements in nano- and biotechnology have further cemented Iran’s strategic ties with other countries.
Kawai, who is heading an economic and diplomatic delegation, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to hold talks with senior Iranain officials on boosting Tehran-Yokyo relations.
He had also met with Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi on Tuesday, during which the two sides called for the development of cooperation in scientific and technological fields, such as areas related to nuclear safety, building 100-MW nuclear power plants, and other peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
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