Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Iranian government has moved to woo Nigeria for more partnerships that will strengthen the relationship between both countries.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, expressed this view in a phone conversation with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama.
During the chat, both state officials exchanged views on the latest state of bilateral relations between Iran and Nigeria as well as international developments.
The Iranian foreign minister said half a century of relations between the two countries is a great and solid capital for the development of political, economic, and cultural relations between Iran and Nigeria based on common interests.
Mr Amirabdollahian described the holding of the sixth meeting of the joint commission of cooperation between the two countries as successful and said the implementation of the documents signed in this meeting is important.
Meanwhile, during the conversation, referring to the latest status of the negotiations for lifting sanctions on Iran, the head of the Iranian diplomatic apparatus emphasized Iran’s commitment to the continuation of talks with the other parties and its will to reach a strong and lasting agreement.
Mr Amirabdollahian expressed hope that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would pursue its task in a technical way and away from politicking, stating that an agreement can be achieved if the United States is realistic.
In the end, he invited his Nigerian counterpart to visit Tehran, the country’s capital.
The Nigerian foreign minister, on his part, said the recent visit by a Nigerian delegation to Tehran was fruitful and noted the history of friendly relations between the two countries and the solidarity of the two nations in various challenges was a proper ground for the development of relations in various political, economic, commercial and cultural fields.
He expressed hope that the upcoming visit by the Iranian foreign minister to Africa will include Nigeria.
Mr Onyeama also conveyed President Muhammadu Buhari’s warm greetings to the Iranian president, Mr Ebrahim Raisi.
He emphasized Iran’s goodwill during the sanctions-lifting negotiations and, referring to the withdrawal of the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), expressed hope for the US’s return to the deal and resolution of issues.
