“Belarus has always been a friend country for Iran and Tehran is ready to deepen economic and business relations, especially in scientific and modern technology fields,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday.
The Iranian top executive made the remarks in his meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in China, on the sidelines of the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Chinese port city of Qingdao on Saturday.
President described Tehran-Minsk relations developing and stressed that all potentials and opportunities must be taken advantage of for deepening relations in all fields.
“Iran’s cooperation with Eurasian countries will give further momentum to bilateral relations between Tehran and Minsk,” said Mr. Rouhani after calling for closer relations with Belarus.
“On north-south transit, Iran is the best transit route for the Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the south-eastern Europe linking them to the Persian Gulf and high seas of the south,” reiterated the Iranian president.
President Rouhani then touched upon the behavior of US new administration leaving many international treaties including the Paris Accord and the JCPOA and said, “the resistance of the international community against these unilateral moves of Washington is in support for statute and international law.”
Mr. Lukashenko, in this meeting, for his part, reassured that his country is determined to boost bilateral relations with Iran.
“Iran is a key partner for us in the region and we are resolute to further enhance our ties with Tehran is all areas of politics and economy,” the Belarusian top official said.
Prior to meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, President Rouhani held separate meetings with the presidents of Pakistan, Russia, and Afghanistan.
Rouhani is in China to take part at the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit where he is scheduled to deliver a speech on the prospect of expansion of cooperation among the SCO member states and the future of the JCPOA after the US pullout.
The Iranian president is accompanied by high-ranking political and economic figures including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, Minister of Economy Masoud Karbasian, Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian, and Governor of Central Bank of Iran Valiollah Seif.
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