Expansion Of Ties With Islamic Countries Iran’s Top Priority

Tehran, Feb 3, IRNA – Head of Presidential Office said Sunday night expansion of ties with Islamic countries is a top priority for Iranian foreign policy, adding that Indonesia, a major economic pole in Islamic world, has a special status in our foreign relations. Mohammad Nahavandian added in his meeting with the Special Envoy of the Indonesian President and Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam that cooperation between the two countries can play an effective role in promoting proximity among the Islamic countries. “The new approach of the Iranian government and the created open political atmosphere has led to the emergence of lots of opportunities for the expansion of Iran-Indonesia relations,” he said, referring to the past records of close and friendly cooperation between the two Muslim countries. He further reiterated that keeping in mind the reached nuclear agreement between Iran and the 6 world powers, a noticeable volume of the obstacles in the way of cooperation with other countries are eliminated, and since Iran is determined to expand ties with the neighboring and Islamic countries, the country wishes to make up for its decreased relations with Indonesia. “The antagonist engagements in some Islamic countries have by no means roots in Islam, but of course the Muslims must refrain from any intriguing move against each other,” said Nahavandian. After receiving the Indonesian president’s officials letter of invitation for President Hassan Rouhani in the meeting, his office chief said, “The invitation will be studied based on the Iran’s interest in expansion of relations and interactions with Islamic countries, including Indonesia, and I am sure the Iranian president’s visit of Indonesia will provide ideas and opportunities for broader bilateral relations.” The special envoy of the Indonesian president, too, expressed delight over the visit with the Iranian top officials and wished success for the Islamic Republic government and well-being for the Iranian nation. “Indonesia is interested in evermore expansion of relations with Iran and since it is the rotating head of the D8 group, it will inside that regional group, too, focus on expansion of cooperation with Iran,” Dipo Alam reiterated. He meanwhile stressed that Iran and Indonesia, as two major democratic Islamic countries can play decisive roles in expansion of interactions among the Islamic countries, and by promoting moderate and authentic Islam; they can encounter the extremists and terrorists who claim to be true Muslims in vain. According to data from the Republic of Indonesia Embassy in Iran, bilateral relations between the two countries have shown a positive trend in many fields each year. Although Iran has faced pressure from international sanctions, the volume of trade between Iran and Indonesia has increased significantly. The trade transactions between the two countries in 2011 reached US$1.856 billion, an increase of 51 percent, compared with 2010 when it reached US$1.229 billion. This means that Iran has US$286.3 million in surplus from trade with Indonesia, of which the largest transaction was the export of oil and gas to Indonesia, which reached US$880.727 million, an increase of 140 percent from 2010. Meanwhile, the non-oil and gas exports from Indonesia to Iran have also shown a positive trend, reaching US$781.5 million, an increase of 22.5 percent over 2010 when it was US$639.3 million./end