Tehran: Pres. Raeisi’s China visit sign of ‘highest political will’ on both sides to boost ties

Tehran says President Ebrahim Raeisi’s upcoming state visit to China demonstrates that both countries have “the highest political will” to develop their relations based on mutual interests.

Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani highlighted the importance of Raeisi’s trip on the development of the Tehran-Beijing bilateral ties.

“The visit will be made in response to the Chinese president’s official invitation. Naturally, the two sides will exchange views on important issues of common interest in various political, economic, commercial and cultural areas as well as other aspects of bilateral relations,” he said.

“The visit is particularly important from a political perspective. It indicates the existence of a proper political atmosphere in relations and emphasizes the highest political will from the leaders of the two countries to expand bilateral ties based on mutual interests.”

The spokesman also noted that the political will of Iran and China to strengthen their bilateral ties paves the way for closer cooperation, particularly in the economic sector.

Raeisi’s visit to China, he added, can create a leap in the implementation of the plans and projects foreseen in the 25-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement.

Kan’ani described the deal signed between Iran and China in March 2021 as “a roadmap that outlines the general path and long-term horizon of cooperation between the two countries.”

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In the past solar calendar year, the volume of Iran’s export to China stood at $14 billion, up by 58 percent compared to the previous year, and the volume of imports from China was slightly more than $13 billion this year, he said.

Generally, he added, there was a 43 percent growth in Iran-China economic and commercial relations last year, with China being Iran’s first export destination and the second source of imports.

Iran ready for ‘unconditional’ prisoner swaps with US

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kan’ani expressed Iran’s readiness to exchange prisoners with the US in an “unconditional” manner without linking the swap to other issues, complaining that despite Iran’s goodwill, Washington has not taken an encouraging measure in this regard.

Iran welcomes Iraq’s diplomatic capacities in JCPOA revival talks

 The spokesman also said that Tehran has no direct relationship with Washington, but it uses all diplomatic capacities to realize Iran’s national interests, especially in the talks aimed at resurrecting the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by the US.

“Some governments have already played a role in this regard in good faith. Some governments are interested in using the capacity of their relations with both sides, and we will always welcome these joint efforts in good faith,” he explained.

“If the Iraqi government wants to play a role in this area, we take it seriously as the country is our friend, neighbor and brother, and we will use the capacities of the Iraqi government.”

Iran rejects France’s ‘blame game’

Also in his comments, Kan’ani rejected France’s recent “blame game” on Iran’s missile program, saying the country’s defense activities are based on its legal rights and international regulations and have nothing to do with the issues that may be raised by the Western parties in the negotiations on the revival of the nuclear deal.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Friday that there must be a stronger “international response” to the alleged threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missiles program.

Asked about a joint military exercise launched by the US and Israel, Kan’ani said the Islamic Republic will deal with threats “with determination and seriousness.”

“In relation to the actions taken in the region by the Zionist regime, alongside the US government, our literature is clear. Any measures against Iran’s security will be met with a device response… This regime is too weak to take military action against Iran and will not dare to do so. It has already tasted the hard blows dealt by Iran.”

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