TEHRAN (Irannews) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected reports that Iran-China have entered an agreement on strategic cooperation for 25 years. In an interview with IRNA on Monday, Zarif said reaching a strategic 25-year deal according to Iran-China ties was only an idea proposed by Iran. Dismissing speculation that Iran has offered significant […]
TEHRAN (Irannews) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected reports that Iran-China have entered an agreement on strategic cooperation for 25 years.
In an interview with IRNA on Monday, Zarif said reaching a strategic 25-year deal according to Iran-China ties was only an idea proposed by Iran.
Dismissing speculation that Iran has offered significant concessions to China under such a strategic deal, Zarif said the rumors are basically false.
Asked about the reports on the contents and articles of the deal, Zarif underlined that such an agreement does not basically exist, let alone have articles.
A proposal has been put forward for a 25-year plan that still needs to be negotiated and drafted, the minister added.
In late August, Zarif paid a visit to China to explore avenues for the expansion of strategic relations between the two nations in talks with senior Chinese officials.
In a meeting in Beijing, Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed various issues related to bilateral relations, the latest developments in the implementation of the JCPOA, a roadmap for Iran-China ties in the next 25 years, the security of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, and the illegal and unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States on independent countries.
On September 17, Chairwoman of the Money and Capital Market Commission of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce Farial Mostofi said a $400 billion credit line has been launched for trade between Iran and China.
The volume of non-oil trades between Iran and China amounted to $8.8 billion in the first four months of 2019, according to the data released by the Chinese customs, though according to the official statistics revealed for this year, the trade volume between Iran and EU members has fallen by 73 percent and it has reached $3.8b euros in the first seven months of 2019.
- source : Tasnim, Irannews
