Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed hope that an early removal of sanctions on Iran under the recent nuclear deal with major powers would help boost Tehran's international role in proportion to its capacities.
The top Chinese diplomat made the remark on Thursday in a meeting with Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, who was in China for an official visit, heading a delegation of AEOI officials, IRNA reported.
Wang described the trip as a clear sign of the importance of mutual relations and both sides' strong desire for expansion of ties.
He highlighted the significance of the meetings between AEOI officials and their Chinese counterparts and said, "These meetings are very helpful for expansion of cooperation between the two countries."
Pointing to Chinese President Xi Jinping' upcoming trip to Iran, he stressed that the visit could prepare the ground for promoting strategic relations between the two sides.
He pointed to China's initiative to develop the Silk Road Economic Belt, which has been welcomed by Iran, and hoped for its positive impact on bilateral ties.
Salehi appreciated China's collaboration with Iran in hard times under sanctions and called for expansion of relations in military, economic, nuclear and oil sectors.
Referring to the "difficult and complicated" conditions in the Middle East, he stressed the important role Tehran can play to help defuse the situation and hoped that Iran's "geostrategic" and "geoeconomic" capacities will be used to help promote peace and security in the region and the world.
On areas for mutual cooperation, the two talked about China's possible contribution to the process of redesigning and modernizing the Arak heavy water reactor.
Under the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) last month, "Iran will redesign and rebuild a modernized heavy water research reactor in Arak, in the form of an international partnership which will certify the final design."
China will work closely with Iran to ensure the implementation of the deal and continue to play a "positive" and "constructive" role in redesigning the Arak reactor and dealing with other issues, Wang added.
The Chinese minister invited his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif to travel to China as part of preparations for the visit by the Chinese leader to Tehran.
