Sustainable trust and strategic cooperation between Iran and China will bring development, stability, and peace to the region, while preparing the ground for true multilateralism in the world, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi said as he congratulated China on its National Day.
“Certainly, sustainable trust between the two countries can expand the ground of cooperation in the form of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the comprehensive partnership program, and turn inter-regional cooperation into development, stability and peace,” President Raeisi said in a message to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Sunday.
“I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to Your Excellency and the great nation of China on the National Day and the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China,” Raeisi wrote.
Back in March, Iran and China signed a 25-year comprehensive strategic partnership deal to strengthen their long-standing economic and political alliance. The partnership was first announced in 2016, when Xi visited Iran to strengthen Tehran-Beijing ties. It aims to boost economic cooperation between the two countries and paves the way for Iran’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure project stretching from East Asia to Europe.
In his message, Raeisi said China’s grand achievements in recent decades have been due to the unity and solidarity of its great people and wise leaders, such as President Xi, who have worked for national growth and development.
China’s sustained commitment to the priority of “development” on the global political agenda reflects its vision of a just, people-oriented international order that benefits all countries, especially developing ones, the Iranian president noted.
According to Raeisi, the two great “peace-loving civilizations” and strategic partners can provide the ground for the realization of true multilateralism through strategic and win-win cooperation.
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“I hope that in the new chapter of relations between the two countries, we will see the promotion and expansion of cooperation in various economic, political and cultural fields, as well as the implementation of the strategic partnership.”
Iran and China have enjoyed close ties in recent years, particularly after the United States reinstated sanctions on Iran’s economy in 2018, when Washington withdrew from the multilateral Iran nuclear agreement.
On Wednesday, China dismissed a US request to cut oil imports from the Islamic Republic, saying Beijing-Tehran economic and trade cooperation has always been conducted within the framework of international law.
