BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 16. Iran is keen to strengthen its friendly ties with China through strategic cooperation based on mutual respect and trust, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, held as part of his visit to China to attend the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, Trend reports.
Araghchi welcomed China’s stance on recent attacks by Israel and the United States against Iran, as well as its position on violations of the UN Charter and international law.
For his part, Wang Yi reaffirmed China’s commitment to preventing further escalation in the region, noting that Beijing will continue its bilateral and multilateral consultations and stands ready to provide support within international forums, especially the UN Security Council.
The two ministers also reviewed the status of bilateral agreements and joint projects in the economic and trade sectors. They discussed ways to expand cooperation, including through the opportunities presented by China’s current chairmanship of the SCO.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently includes nine member states—China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran—as well as three observer countries: Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia.