Iran FM: Bright Future Awaiting African States

Tehran, April 23, IRNA – Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said here on Monday that the African continent has a bright future. Speaking to IRNA, Salehi said western states have never helped other countries especially the African states, out of goodwill. He said senior officials of African states in different meetings with Iranian officials have announced that any single step taken by western states is very costly for the African countries. He added that African officials believe that westerners sets many conditions sometimes some immoral ones for cooperation with African states. He noted that Iranˈs policy on cooperation with African states is different from that of westerners. ˈFor this same reason, African states welcome Iranˈs presence in their territory.ˈ The top diplomat said Africa is a highly important continent and its economic growth rate is higher than those of the continents kept backward and now the African states have launched an economic, industrial and social drive. He said that even some African states have an economic growth rate higher than that of China: For instance, Ghanaˈs economic growth rate is 14 percent and many African states has a 2-digitˈ economic growth rate. ˈThe Islamic Republic of Iran has concentrated all its efforts on helping the oppressed and Iran through its strong presence can help expedite the development of the African statesˈ economic, trade, technical and industrial sectors. ˈToday, we are witnessing that many countries that have just found a foothold in Africa are moving fact and we also should also move with vigilance and without seeking any special benefit or setting any conditions in order to contribute to building those countriesˈ infrastructures.ˈ ˈIran now has representative offices in majority of African states in line with its policy of expanding relations with them. The representative offices are either permanent or temporary ones. Iran plans to raise the number of staff in its embassies so as to effectively contribute to commissioning of the projects it has undertaken there, he added./end