Africa strategic partner for Iran in regional issues: Zarif

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has stressed the importance of improving relations with African countries, saying Africa has been a strategic partner for Tehran in regional developments.

“The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been based on very close ties with African countries,” Zarif told reporters after a meeting with Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed in Nairobi on Monday.

He added that Iran has always attached significance to ties with African states.

The Iranian minister noted that he had exchanged views with his Kenyan counterpart about the “very complicated phenomenon of terrorism” and ways to boost bilateral cooperation.

Nuclear deal

Zarif further said a comprehensive agreement with the P5+1 countries would safeguard all Iran’s nuclear rights, adding, “It [deal] can also give the opposite side the assurance that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful.”

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US – plus Germany have been holding talks to secure a final comprehensive deal over Tehran's nuclear program.

Since an interim deal was agreed in the Swiss city of Geneva in November 2013, the negotiating sides have missed two self-imposed deadlines to ink a final agreement.

Iran and the P5+1 countries now seek to reach a high-level political agreement by March 1 and confirm the full technical details of the accord by July 1.

Kenya’s ties with Iran

The Kenyan foreign minister said her country has always maintained good and growing relations with Iran and hoped the two countries would further expand cooperation, particularly in oil and gas sectors.

Mohamed also said Kenya recognizes Iran’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Zarif’s African tour

The Iranian foreign minister embarked on a diplomatic tour of four East African countries - Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania - at the head of a delegation on Sunday.

The four-leg visit has been described as the beginning of a new chapter in Tehran’s ties with African countries.

Iran already has a significant presence in agricultural and economic projects in some African countries and has been a major contributor to humanitarian missions in the continent over the past years.

The intensified diplomacy on Africa is a sign of Iran’s willingness to engage deeper in African political and economic equations, a move that can further bolster the country’s foothold in the region.

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