Iranian minister derides claims on Iran-China cooperation
Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mohammad Eslami told ILNA that under the 25-year cooperation deal between Iran and China, Chinese companies are not a priority in the country's projects.
He said in an exclusive interview with ILNA news agency correspondent, that I'm surprised that some who have not read the text of the contract analyze it without knowing the details.
"The 25-year contract is a strategic document, not an executive one."
Iranian minister added "It is a document that sets out the two countries' strategies for developing long-term cooperation."
Referring to the news that has been published, Eslami said "Let the negotiations on this document come to an end and after its final definition, we can talk about it."
Asked whether the transfer of Chinese passengers during the coronavirus outbreak was part of Iran-China contract with Mahan Airlines, he confirmed "None of these claims are true."
Iranian Ambassador to China Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh also said that claims like ceding some islands to China or deploying Chinese military forces in Iran in the framework of Iran-China cooperation are "ridiculous and somehow negative propaganda
Iran-China comprehensive cooperation plan is in fact a roadmap for Tehran and Beijing; he said, adding that it is a kind of MoU for developing mutual cooperation.
China has the largest foreign exchange reserves in the world and a developing economy which has 15% of the world economy, so all major countries are interested in promoting their ties with China, he said.
On June 21, 2020, the final draft of the 25-year plan for the Comprehensive Document on Cooperation between Iran and China was approved by Iran's Government, which covers all areas؛ including oil, gas, and electronics and it can be a clear roadmap for future relations between the two countries.
END