KAZAN: Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to increase relations with Iran during talks with his counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Russia, according to Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.
The meeting between President Xi and President Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a BRICS summit was their first since Pezeshkian was elected president after the death of Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash.
President Xi pledged that China will unwaveringly develop friendly cooperation with Tehran, Xinhua reported. The new promise of continued support comes as Middle East tensions soar on Israel’s war with Gazans and with Iran-backed group in Lebanon, and as the world awaits an Israeli reply to Iran’s latest missile attack.
At a BRICS session on Wednesday, Iranian President urged members of the grouping to utilize all their collective and individual abilities to end the war in Lebanon and Gaza.
President Xi repeated his call for a truce, adding that they need to stop the killing and work tirelessly for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the issue of Palestine.
Xinhua reported that President Xi told his Iranian counterpart that an early truce and end of war in Gaza are the key to easing tensions in the region.
