Iran using opening with West to improve its relations worldwide
Iranian deputy FM tours South America, meeting with leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia in order to boost economic, political ties.
By ARIEL BEN SOLOMONIranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shaking hands with Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, January 4, 2014.(photo credit: REUTERS/Murad Sezer)
Iran continues to take advantage of its stronger standing with the West to improve relations with various countries.As the interim nuclear deal with Iran is scheduled to go into effect on January 20, Iran moved to improve relations with fellow Somalia, with senior parliamentarians from each country meeting in Tehran on Monday, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported.Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Ravanchi began a tour in South America on Monday, in order to boost relations, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency.Ravanchi plans on meeting leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia in order to boost economic and political ties.Kenya Senate speaker Ekwee Ethuro said at a press conference in Tehran on Sunday that Nairobi seeks to gain technological expertise from Iran as well as boost trade and economic ties.“Given the resources in our possession, we hope that we could benefit from Iran’s technical expertise in this regard,” Ethuro said after a meeting with Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Larijani.Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Foreign Affairs Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif will be in Moscow on Thursday, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be visiting Iran in late January or early February.Italian and British and Irish lawmakers also visited Tehran earlier this month – representing a thawing in relations between Iran and Europe, since the deal struck in the Geneva conference in November.Various countries are eager to re-open business ties with Iran, after having been shut out due to sanctions on the country.
