South Korea president to make 1st state visit to Iran in May
South Korean President Park Geun-hye will make a state visit to Iran next month to hold discussions with the country’s senior officials on a wide range of issues.
Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Park will start her three-day visit to Tehran on May 1 at the invitation of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for communications and information, Parviz Esmaeili, said on Monday.
The Iranian and South Korean presidents are set to exchange views on the expansion of mutual relations in different fields and important regional and international developments, Esmaeili added.
The official noted that Rouhani and Park will also discuss ways to bolster cooperation in sectors including energy, banking and insurance, infrastructure projects, health and treatment, science and technology and culture.
He said senior officials of Tehran and Seoul will also sign several documents for cooperation.
Meanwhile, a conference will be held to explore avenues for strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation after the lifting of sanctions against Tehran and paving the way for South Korean companies' investment in Iran’s economic projects, Esmaeili said.
Park's visit will be the first by a South Korean leader since Tehran and Seoul established diplomatic relations in 1962. Her office expressed hope that the trip would help deepen mutual relations after the lifting of Iran sanctions.
Energy-hungry South Korea, the world's fifth largest crude oil importer, is one of the largest buyers of Iranian oil.
Its import of Iranian crude soared 81 percent in March year-on-year, after Iran and the P5+1 group of countries started to implement a nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on January 16.
After the JCPOA went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran, in return, has put some limitations on its nuclear activities.
South Korea has announced plans to raise Iranian oil imports this year to meet its growing energy demand.
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