Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Tehran and Seoul should build up a strong, sustainable relationship by fostering cooperation in various domains.
"Relations between Iran and South Korea should not hinge upon sanctions and should not be affected by the US influence and malice, rather communications between the two countries must be continuous, sustainable, strong and cordial," leader.ir quoted him as saying. Speaking in a meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Tehran on Monday, the Leader highlighted Iran's positive stance for enhancing cooperation with Asian countries.
He noted that "persistent and sustainable communications between Iran and South Korea" will prove mutually beneficial, adding that cooperation and exchange of experience in scientific, technological, political, social and security domains will be in the interests of the two countries.
The Leader stressed the importance of cultivating wide-ranging relations, saying, "Formation of productive cooperation between Iran and South Korea is possible, but our priorities in cooperation are not limited to trade and transactions. Rather, contracts must be signed [in the fields] needed by Iran's infrastructure and public economy."
Referring to the long history of bilateral relations despite ups and downs, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Fortunately, the South Korean government is a cooperative government and Iran enjoys abundant potentials like young, talented and educated manpower for enhancing sustainable cooperation."
Valuable Opportunity
In the meeting, which was also attended by President Hassan Rouhani, Park described her visit to Tehran as a valuable opportunity for the development of bilateral relations and boosting mutual confidence.
She said, "During years of sanctions, we also tried to continue our presence in Iran as long as we could."
The South Korean president said Iran is endowed with efficient human resources and an exceptional geographical position. "We hope relations between the two countries will improve particularly in the economic sector," she said.
