Foreign minister of the I.R. of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, heading a politico-economic delegation visited a number of East African states. The visit by the Iranian foreign minister and entourage to Kenya, Uganda, Brundai and Tanzania was intended to strengthen political and economic ties with these nations.
Managing director and chairman of the board of Mapna Group, Dr. Aliabadi had also been invited by the Iranian foreign ministry to company the delegation. In his meetings with the political officials and economic players of the above named nations, Dr. Aliabadi introduced Mapna Group’s capabilities and potentials and discussed expansion of cooperation with them.
During his visit to Kenya, Iran’s foreign minister Zarif, addressing Kenyan businessmen and traders stated: “our resolve is to remove trade and business impediments and barriers, however, even if an agreement is reached in our talks, we should still be aware of the fact that our true and reliable partners in the world are those nations with which we can do planning for sustainable development within the framework of South-South cooperation.
During his visit to Uganda, Zarif met with his Ugandan counterpart and expressed the hope that the Iranian traders and businessmen will maintain a more dynamic presence in the African continent. In this meeting, president of Mapna Group, Dr. Aliabadi elaborated on the potentials and capacities that reside in the African market and the capabilities that the Iranian companies have to offer for investment in this market. On the final leg of their visit, the Iranian foreign minister and his entourage arrived in Brundai and met with the officials of this African state. The two parties stressed a more active involvement by the private sectors for cooperation in the Brundai market.
The Iranian delegation’s tour of the East African states of Kenya, Brundai, Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar lasted for five days