Raisi made the comment on Saturday during talks with Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi on the sidelines of the 7th Summit of the Heads of State of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Algiers, Algeria.
The Iranian president said that his country is interested in developing relations with African nations, adding that his meeting with Nyusi can serve as a turning point in promotion of relations between Tehran and Maputo.
Taking further steps in bilateral ties requires a new roadmap, Raisi said, proposing that Iran and Mozambique establish a joint committee in order to identify and use the potential they have.
Unlike Western states, which have a colonial stance on Africa and seek their own interests, the Islamic Republic of Iran protects its own interest and that of African nations in its ties with these countries, the Iranian president stressed.
Raisi meanwhile said that the Zionist regime and certain Western countries are putting pressure on African nations and are looting their resources through supporting terrorist groups, adding that Iran is ready to cooperate with African states to safeguard their interests in the face of terrorism.
Mozambique’s president welcomed his Iranian counterpart’s proposal for the establishment of a joint committee, and said that the development of ties between the two sides can bring key changes.
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