Iran says China’s 25-year deal is entering the implementation phase Nuclear Energy News

The agreement was signed last year and includes economic, military and security cooperation.

Tehran, Iran – A comprehensive 25-year cooperation agreement signed between Iran and China last year has now entered the implementation phase, according to the Iranian Foreign Minister.

Hossein Amirabdollahian, on his first visit to China as foreign minister, announced the news on Friday night after a meeting with the Chinese Wang Yi.

“While we were preparing for a visit to China, we made preparations to mark today as the starting day for the implementation of a comprehensive agreement between the two countries,” Amirabdollahian said, but did not announce any specific projects or agreements. occasion.

It was signed in Tehran in March 2021 when former President Hassan Rouhani was in office. “strategic agreement” it involves economic, military, and security cooperation, even though the two countries are at different levels of criminality in the United States.

Among other things, China has been buying Iranian oil – at a discount – for the past three years, ignoring sanctions. No country provides specific details.

During his visit, Amirabdollahian also gave a letter to President Xi Jinping, President Ebrahim Raisi, saying he had an “important message” for the Raisi administration.

He did not elaborate on the content, but the Raisi administration has repeatedly stressed the foreign policy of China as a “Central Asia”.

Amirabdollahian’s visit to Wuxi (Jiangsu) was one of many meetings. The foreign minister landed there shortly after the Chinese Yi Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the foreign ministers of the four member countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain – in addition to speaking abroad. Minister.

Vienna nuclear talks

Follow up talks aimed at resettling Vienna Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal they were also the main topics of discussion with the world powers during the visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister.

After the meeting, Amirabollahian told reporters that Iran is ready to reach an agreement in the Austrian capital in the short term, a feat that will be possible with the support of China and Russia.

In a reading of the Iranian Foreign Ministry meeting, Wang Yi said that China supports Iran’s “logical” stance. Vienna talks.

“We also hope that the Western parties will continue the negotiations in Vienna with a realistic view of reaching an agreement that will guarantee the interests of the Iranian people,” he said.

The foreign minister has criticized Western parties – the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom – for “lack of initiative” in talks.

“They say we are worried and in a hurry, but the lack of practical initiative shows that there is a contrast between their rhetoric and action,” he said.

The eighth – and supposedly final – round of talks is being held in Vienna since last month, Western parties have warned. only a few weeks are left to reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear progress.

The heads of negotiating representatives agreed on Friday to return to their capitals for two-day consultations, but talks have not been interrupted as expert working groups continue to hold sessions.

The United States imposed severe sanctions on Iran from 2018, when it unilaterally abandoned the nuclear deal. Iran has significantly expanded its nuclear program since then, but says it is completely peaceful.