The third Iran-Africa Cooperation Summit began with the presence of the President and representatives of 51 countries

Exhibition News –The third Iran-Africa Cooperation Summit was held today in the Tehran Summit Hall with the presence of the President, First Vice President, Minister of Industry, and representatives of 51 African countries. The summit aimed to expand economic, political, and cultural relations between Iran and African countries and explore opportunities for joint cooperation.

President’s condolences to the families of the victims of the Bandar Rajai incident

At the beginning of the summit, President Masoud Pezshkeskian expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the recent explosion in Shahid Rajaee Port and emphasized the need for global solidarity in facing the challenges. He stated: “We are all residents of a small house called the earth. God’s blessings belong to everyone, and by looking beyond geographical boundaries, we can benefit from these resources fairly by working together.”

The Third Iran-Africa Cooperation Summit

First Vice President emphasizes Iran’s sustainable growth model

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref also announced Iran’s readiness to deepen cooperation with African countries in his speech. He called the Islamic Republic a “sustainable model of balanced development” and added: “With successful experience in the fields of science, technology , and countering sanctions, Iran is ready to transfer knowledge and support Africa’s development programs.”

Industry Minister: Current level of trade is insufficient

Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade , referring to the historical ties between Iran and Africa, described the current level of economic exchanges between the two sides as “disproportionate to existing capacities.” He called for the removal of trade barriers and the development of cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, technology and infrastructure. “Our goal is to increase the volume of bilateral trade and create sustainable economic corridors that guarantee common interests ,” Atabak added.

The Third Iran-Africa Cooperation Summit

Main topics of the meeting

According to the announcement of the secretariat of this meeting, the main topics of the discussions of this two-day meeting are the review of joint investment plans, the development of banking cooperation, the strengthening of parliamentary diplomacy, and coordination in facing crises such as climate change and food insecurity.

The summit comes as Iran has made great strides in recent years to expand its presence in Africa, signing numerous agreements in the fields of health, education and energy with countries on the continent. Analysts see strengthening ties with Africa as part of Iran’s broader strategy to ease the pressure of sanctions and diversify its economic partners.