Salehi Emphasizes Iran’s Strong Will To Expand Ties With African Countries

Tehran, April 17, IRNA – Iran's foreign minister in a meeting with the visiting Nigerian minister of state here Monday stressed the president's and cabinet’s strong determination for a comprehensive expansion of ties with African countries more than ever before. Ali-Akbar Salehi made the comment in a meeting with Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri expressing satisfaction on the expanding trend of Tehran-Abuja relations. Salehi reiterated, “Two great countries of Iran in Asia and Nigeria in Africa have both broad potentials for expansion of relations, particularly in economic and commercial fields, oil and gas industries, petrochemistry, science and technology, and also industrial and agricultural fields, and this can lead to the strengthening of bilateral relations.” Salehi, elaborating on some of the broad scale and spectacular advancements of Iranian young scientists in new technological fields, such as the nanotechnology, medical sciences, and academic and university field, announced Iran’s readiness for exchange of technical, vocational, and scientific experience, and increased export of technical and engineering services to Nigeria, in the process of the industrial and civil development of that country. ATMOSPHERE IN IRAN DIFFERS WITH WESTERN MEDIA PROPAGATION! The Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ms. Viola Onwuliri who is in Iran to participate at the 4th Joint Economic Commission of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Republic of Nigeria spoke about her personal experience in her first visit of Iran, saying “The happy and brisk spirit prevailing at the social and economic atmospheres of Iran truly amazed me, as they really differ with the propaganda and the demonizing of your beautiful and highly civilized country in some western mass media.” She also expressed satisfaction over her successful negotiations at the 4th economic commission of the two countries, emphasizing that the Nigerian president, too, has a strong will for expansion of relations with Iran. The Nigerian state minister of foreign affairs at the end expressed hope that the continuation of these talks and implementation of the reached agreements would lead to ever more expansion and deepening of relations in economic, commercial, technological, and cultural fields between Iran and Nigeria.