Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is to set off on an Asia-Pacific tour on Saturday, geared to make the most out of the potentials emerging after the removal of international sanctions on Iran.
The six-country tour is going to be held after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1(the US, Britain, France, China, Russia plus Germany) which resulted in the lifting of sanctions against Iran on Jan. 16 in exchange for temporary curbs on its nuclear program, IRNA reported.
On the first leg of his trip, Zarif will fly to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to confer on bilateral political and economic ties with Indonesian officials and attend an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The 57 members of OIC will participate in the organization’s fifth extraordinary summit in Jakarta on March 6-7 to discuss the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli regime for their rights, in response to the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
In the next stages, the foreign minister is expected to visit Thailand, Brunei, New Zealand, Singapore and Australia to discuss expansion of bilateral ties and review the latest international developments.
In Thailand, Zarif will also take part in the 14th ministerial meeting of Asia Cooperation Dialogue, due to be held from 8 March to 10.
The 32-member ACD is a body created in 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at the continental level and help integrate various regional organizations.
Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, said last week that Zarif's trips are aimed at taking advantage of the chances created for the country following the removal of international sanctions.
“Therefore, a large economic delegation will accompany the foreign minister to these countries,” he said.
The removal of sanctions has led to a surge of Iran's ties with other countries, as a large number of world leaders have visited Tehran in recent months and many Iranian officials have been busy travelling around the world.
