Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari left Tehran for Johannesburg on Wednesday to pay an official visit to South Africa and hold talks with senior officials on issues of mutual interest. Heading a high-ranking delegation, Ansari will attend the seventh meeting of Iran-South Africa Political Committee on bilateral relations, Tasnim News Agency reported. During his two-day visit to South Africa, the senior diplomat will also hold talks with South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and her deputy on ways to boost cooperation between the two countries. Holding a meeting with Iranian expatriates in the African country and attending a session with elites and local media people are also on Ansari's agenda. The Iranian government has announced that expansion of relations with African nations in political, economic and cultural fields is a top foreign policy priority.
