Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Beijing’s foreign ministry said Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping will be making a state visit to Iran. The announcement came as a three-day trip to China by Iran’s leader was set to end.
The invitation by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was “gladly accepted” by Xi, according to a statement issued jointly by both countries, however, no date was mentioned.
Xi last visited Iran in 2016.
Beijing and Tehran have robust economic ties and in 2021 inked a “strategic cooperation pact” that was agreed to last for 25 years.
Xi invited to visit Iran amid Western pressure
Both countries are facing pressure from Western powers over their stances on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, additionally, Iran is under tight US sanctions over its nuclear program.
In the joint communique, they blamed Washington for the present tensions and called for the sanctions to be removed, saying that an “important part” of the 2015 nuclear deal was to ensure Iran’s economic dividends.
The statement called for the pact, which former president Donald Trump withdrew Washington from in 2018, to be implemented “fully and effectively”.
