Wang Yi meets Iranian acting FM on ties

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed condolences once again over the unfortunate deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter accident.

Wang said that during the current period, the Iranian nation has undergone a significant test. As a comprehensive strategic partner, China supports the Iranian government and people in adhering to their established domestic and foreign policies, maintaining independence, sovereignty, stability, and development, and wishes Iran a successful presidential election.

Wang said that through joint efforts, China-Iran relations have maintained healthy and steady development, benefiting from the long-standing traditional friendship and high-level mutual political trust between the two countries.

Currently, China-Iran relations are at a crucial stage of building on the past and opening up the future, Wang noted, adding that China stands ready to work with Iran to view bilateral relations from a strategic perspective, steer the development course of bilateral relations, solidly advance pragmatic cooperation in various fields, comprehensively deepen coordination in regional and international affairs, and contribute more to regional and world peace and stability.

China will continue to support Iran and Saudi Arabia in improving their relations and achieving lasting good neighborliness and friendliness in the region, he said.

Bagheri Kani, on behalf of the Iranian government, thanked China for expressing condolences over the deaths of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian and for sending a special representative to attend the memorial service.

Bagheri Kani said that Iran is committed to strengthening strategic relations with China, enhancing cooperation in various fields, and continuously achieving new progress of bilateral relations.

In the current international situation, developing good Iran-China relations not only benefits the people of both countries but also is conducive to regional and global peace and stability, as well as building a more fair and reasonable international order and safeguarding the legitimate rights of developing countries, he said.

Iran adheres to the one-China principle and supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Iran appreciates China's adherence to multilateralism and its commitment to upholding fairness and justice in international affairs, he noted, adding that unilateralism has reached a dead end, and cannot solve domestic problems, let alone global issues, as is fully proved in the prolonged Gaza conflict.

Iran is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in international and regional affairs, jointly uphold multilateralism, and seek solutions to global issues, Bagheri Kani said.

The two sides exchanged views on BRICS cooperation, the Ukraine crisis, and the Iran nuclear issue, among other topics.

Wang welcomed Iran's participation as a full member for the first time in the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and expressed willingness to expand strategic coordination with Iran, give full play to the important role of the BRICS mechanism in reforming and improving global governance, further strengthen the influence and voice of the Global South, and promote the formation of a more just and reasonable world order.