Reuters , Dubai :
Iran and China agreed to expand bilateral ties to form a comprehensive strategic partnership, President Hassan Rouhani and visiting Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping said on Saturday, calling it a “new season” in bilateral relations.
The Chinese president is the first leader to visit Iran since international sanctions on the Islamic Republic were lifted on Jan. 16 after it struck a deal with six major powers to limit its nuclear program. China was one of the six.
“We are happy that President Xi visited Iran after the lifting of sanctions … Iran and China have agreed to increase trade to $600 billion in the next 10 years,” Rouhani said at the news conference with Xi broadcast live on state television.
“Iran and China have agreed on forming strategic relations (as) reflected in a 25-year comprehensive document,” he said.
Both countries signed 17 accords on Saturday, including agreements on a revival of the ancient Silk Road trade route and cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy.
Rouhani said the two countries had also agreed to cooperate closely to resolve the issue of “terrorism and extremism in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen”.
Xi is the first Chinese president to visit Iran in 14 years, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA. He has visited Saudi Arabia and Egypt as well during a Middle East tour that began on Jan. 19.
He was to meet Iran’s most powerful figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, later in the day. The two leaders oversaw the signing of 17 agreements in areas including politics, the economy, security and cooperation on peaceful nuclear energy.
“With the Chinese president’s visit to Tehran and our agreements, a new chapter has begun in Tehran-Beijing relations,” Rouhani said in a televised speech, flanked by Xi.
It is the first visit to Iran by a Chinese president in 14 years, according to state news agency IRNA, and comes just days after sanctions against Tehran were lifted under a historic nuclear deal with world powers.
“Iran is China’s major partner in the Middle East and the two countries have chosen to boost bilateral relations,” IRNA quoted Xi as saying.
Beijing is Tehran’s top customer for oil exports, which in recent years were hit by US and EU sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Trade between the two countries was worth $52 billion in 2014.
According to Iranian media, more than a third of Iran’s foreign trade is carried out with China.
Xi, accompanied by three deputy prime ministers and six ministers, also brought with him a large business delegation.
He was scheduled to meet later Saturday with Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Xi’s tour, his first of the Middle East as Chinese president, has also taken him to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Riyadh and a number of Sunni Arab allies broke diplomatic ties with Iran this month after protesters angry over the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric ransacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
In Cairo, Xi offered $55 billion in loans and investments to the Middle East, a region where China wants to strengthen its economic presence.
Iran and China agreed to expand bilateral ties to form a comprehensive strategic partnership, President Hassan Rouhani and visiting Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping said on Saturday, calling it a “new season” in bilateral relations.
The Chinese president is the first leader to visit Iran since international sanctions on the Islamic Republic were lifted on Jan. 16 after it struck a deal with six major powers to limit its nuclear program. China was one of the six.
“We are happy that President Xi visited Iran after the lifting of sanctions … Iran and China have agreed to increase trade to $600 billion in the next 10 years,” Rouhani said at the news conference with Xi broadcast live on state television.
“Iran and China have agreed on forming strategic relations (as) reflected in a 25-year comprehensive document,” he said.
Both countries signed 17 accords on Saturday, including agreements on a revival of the ancient Silk Road trade route and cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy.
Rouhani said the two countries had also agreed to cooperate closely to resolve the issue of “terrorism and extremism in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen”.
Xi is the first Chinese president to visit Iran in 14 years, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA. He has visited Saudi Arabia and Egypt as well during a Middle East tour that began on Jan. 19.
He was to meet Iran’s most powerful figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, later in the day. The two leaders oversaw the signing of 17 agreements in areas including politics, the economy, security and cooperation on peaceful nuclear energy.
“With the Chinese president’s visit to Tehran and our agreements, a new chapter has begun in Tehran-Beijing relations,” Rouhani said in a televised speech, flanked by Xi.
It is the first visit to Iran by a Chinese president in 14 years, according to state news agency IRNA, and comes just days after sanctions against Tehran were lifted under a historic nuclear deal with world powers.
“Iran is China’s major partner in the Middle East and the two countries have chosen to boost bilateral relations,” IRNA quoted Xi as saying.
Beijing is Tehran’s top customer for oil exports, which in recent years were hit by US and EU sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Trade between the two countries was worth $52 billion in 2014.
According to Iranian media, more than a third of Iran’s foreign trade is carried out with China.
Xi, accompanied by three deputy prime ministers and six ministers, also brought with him a large business delegation.
He was scheduled to meet later Saturday with Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Xi’s tour, his first of the Middle East as Chinese president, has also taken him to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Riyadh and a number of Sunni Arab allies broke diplomatic ties with Iran this month after protesters angry over the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric ransacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
In Cairo, Xi offered $55 billion in loans and investments to the Middle East, a region where China wants to strengthen its economic presence.
