Daily Times Pakistan - MAY 22, 2014
SHANGHAI: Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on Thursday with
visiting Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, both pledging to enhance
bilateral ties.
Xi said China pays much attention to its relations
with Iran and is ready to work with the Iranian side to bring the
relationship to a new level. The two sides should maintain high-level
contact and promote exchanges between the two governments and
parliaments as well as their localities and peoples to consolidate
mutual understanding and trust, he said, also urging them to increase
bilateral trade and cooperation in petroleum, gas and petrochemical
sectors.
China welcomes Iran to actively participate in the
construction of the Silk Road economic belt and the 21st century
maritime Silk Road with cooperation in infrastructure construction and
the launch of high-speed railway projects and economic parks, according
to Xi. China and Iran should step up security cooperation to combat
terrorism, drug trade and transnational crime and boost cultural and
people-to-people exchanges and tourism cooperation, he said.
Xi told
Rouhani that China respects Iran’s right of peaceful use of nuclear
energy and has long believed that negotiations are the only right and
effective way in tackling the Iranian nuclear issue. The Chinese side
hopes that all parties involved can make further efforts to reach a
comprehensive agreement on the nuclear issue, the president said. He
added that China will beef up communication with Iran so as to play a
constructive role in promoting the negotiation process.
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