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China, Russia Seen as Major Partners

China, Russia Seen as Major Partners
China, Russia Seen as Major Partners

Senior advisor Ali Akbar Velayati says Iran’s policy is oriented towards the East and Russia and China are its  major political and economic partners in countering US plans.

Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, met the press in Tehran on Sunday to discuss the future of Tehran’s foreign policy initiatives.

He said the contemporary East is no more like the ideological East that existed decades ago. He said the communist Kremlin is a thing of the past and a democratic Russia has emerged, Tasnim News Agency reported. Asked about the US sanctions’ impact on Iran’s economy, the former foreign minister said what matters most now for Iran is the ability to sell its oil.

“China and Russia have guaranteed to purchase Iran’s oil,” Velayati added, saying that “efforts are underway to maintain the capacity of Iranian oil exports.”

Hailing the close cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in the defense industry and nuclear energy sector, Velayati said Russian President Vladimir Putin had assured him in a recent meeting that Moscow will stand by Iran.

Asked about Iran’s purported focus on only Russia and China and disregarding other Eastern states like Japan, Velayati said Iran “Shapes its foreign policy according to its own priorities.”

He said “Russia is a heavy political weight and had vetoed a proposed anti-Iranian UN Security Council resolution on Yemen, while China is of greater significance in economic and trade terms.”

Back in May, Velayati explicated the policy of working with the East in order to counter western obstructionism, saying it does not mean reliance on Russia.

“Every country functions according to its national interests. We (Iran), Russia, and China have overlapping national interests in many cases and can work together.”  

 

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