Sierra Leone Seeks Enhanced Ties

A ranking Sierra Leonean diplomat voiced the African country’s interest in developing close ties with Tehran, especially in the economic sphere. The government in Freetown is eager to boost relations with Iran in all fields, the minister of state at Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohamed Gibril Sesay said in a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Wednesday, Tasnim News Agency reported.  Highlighting the African nation’s aim to benefit from Iran’s economic capacities, the visiting diplomat called for implementation of an economic cooperation agreement that the two sides signed in 2015.Zarif described closer ties with Africa as one of Iran’s top foreign policy priorities, noting that Tehran and Freetown can boost economic interaction under “practical mechanisms” during the second term of President Hassan Rouhani, who was reelected in the May 19 vote. He stressed the role that Iran and Sierra Leone’s private sectors can and should play in enhancing trade ties.