Iran press/Iran: Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami told IRNA on Thursday in Beijing that Iran and China face shared common threats and interests which can serve as a basis for strengthening bilateral relations.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier added that leaders of the two countries underline development of strategic cooperation but this requires regular consultations, especially in the field of defense.
“Iran has had long-standing ties with China since the victory of the Islamic Revolution and they still continue in the military, technical and industrial spheres,” General Hatami said.
Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami arrived in the Chinese capital Beijing on Thursday at the head of a high-ranking delegation on the invitation of his Chinese counterpart.
Pursuance of agreements signed by the two countries’ defense ministers in November 2016 is another objective of the visit to Beijing, he said, noting that the current regional and international developments require close consultations.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Chinese President Xi Jinping in their meeting on the sidelines of the SCO summit in the Chinese port city of Qingdao also exchanged views on issues of mutual interests and the avenues of bilateral cooperation as well as the case of the JCPOA- AKA the Iran nuclear deal- which both Iran and China are signatory states of.
At a time when US President Donald Trump does not uphold international norms, China as a big power and Iran as a major international player need to have extensive consultations, General Hatami said.
Iran and China have close diplomatic, economic, trade and energy ties, and in recent years have also developed military relations.
Back in November 2016, the defense ministers of the two countries signed an agreement in Tehran to enhance two-way defense cooperation.
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