Iran has been hammering out a strategic 25-year agreement with China, the details of which will be announced as soon as the deal has been finalised, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was cited as saying at a session of parliament on Sunday, adding that there was “nothing secret” about it, APA reports citing AFP.
“With confidence and conviction, we are negotiating a 25-year strategic accord with China, Iran’s top trading partner, said Zarif, as he addressed parliament for the first time since the legislature began work in late May following parliamentary elections on 21 February 2020.
Zarif underscored that the nation would be informed of the prospective China deal “when an accord has been concluded”.
The Foreign Minister alluded to an earlier intention to seek such a long-term agreement between the two nations, voiced in January 2016 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Tehran.
The likelihood of a “road map” deal being penned between Iran and China had been raised by Iranian media in early June, with Al-Manar and Tehran Times mentioning it as part of the initiative of President Hassan Rouhani’s current government.
The potential deal was cited by former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a political visit to Gilan province. At the time, Ahmadinejad had slammed alleged rumours of a “secret” agreement.
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