South Africa president in Iran on key visit
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has officially received his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, who is on a state visit to Tehran for the first time after the implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six global powers.
Heading a 180-member politico-economic delegation, Zuma arrived in Tehran on Sunday at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart to discuss ways to strengthen relations between the two countries. He was welcomed by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport upon his arrival.
Immediately after the formal welcoming ceremony at Saadabad palace in northern Tehran on Sunday, Rouhani and Zuma started bilateral talks.
The South African president is to meet and confer with senior Iranian officials during his three-day stay in Iran.
Iranian and South African officials will sign several documents for cooperation in trade and economic fields in the presence of Rouhani and Zuma. The agreements come following the lifting of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.
Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany 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 UN Security Council and the United States were lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.
The South African leader will travel to the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Monday.
He is set to be accompanied by various cabinet ministers and a high-level business delegation.
Ahead of Zuma’s visit, Amir-Abdollahian and South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Nomaindiya Mfeketo held a meeting in Tehran on Saturday and discussed the latest developments in West Asia and Africa.
The two sides commended growing relations between Tehran and Pretoria and expressed hope that the South African president’s important trip would result in positive outcomes to serve the two nations’ interests.
They also stressed the importance of pursuing political approaches to settle regional problems.
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