Iran’s Strategy Now Focuses on Boosting Regional and Neighborly ties: VP Aref

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref emphasizes the importance of promoting relations with China, saying boosting cooperation with neighboring and regional countries has now become a strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Aref made the remarks in a meeting with the members of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Monday afternoon.

Pointing that the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian has made it a foreign policy priority to promote relations with friendly nations, Aref said Iran and China have had long-standing commercial, cultural, and social relations and can develop them further based on shared interests.

He, particularly, emphasized the expansion of scientific and technological relations between the two countries, saying the Iran-China Chamber can play an important role in developing innovative, technological, industrial, and transportation cooperation.

While appreciating the Iranian private sector for its efforts in expanding economic relations with China over the past decades, Aref said, “We have come to the conclusion that the presence of the private sector is a requirement and the country's progress and development is not possible by only relying on government resources.”

Experiences at the global level have shown that the private sector can play a key role in the economic field by observing international rules and regulations, he noted, adding that Article 44 of the Iranian Constitution clearly shows there is no obstacle to the presence of the private sector in any field.

Technological advances in the world have relied on the private sector, and we must also move in this direction, said the First Vice President, underlining that the private sector seeks profits and makes fewer mistakes.

The private sector should find its place in investment and economic interaction with neighboring countries, and any obstacles to developing cooperation and implementing projects should be resolved with the government's help, he added.