By Xinhua
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Friday that an Iran-Africa joint meeting will soon be held in Tehran at the level of deputy foreign ministers, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Mottaki made the remarks in separate meetings with his Tunisian, Malawian and Burkinabe counterparts on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Capacities and potentials of Iran and African states will be identified for further expansion of mutual ties in the joint meeting, Mottaki said.
The year 2008 will mark the expansion of relations between Iran and African states, the top Iranian diplomatic said.
Regional issues and the two-way ties were among their topics in the meetings between Mottaki and his Tunisian, Malawian and Burkinabe counterparts, IRNA reported.
Tunisian Foreign Minister Abdelwaheb Abdallah, supporting the idea of the Iran-Africa joint meeting, told Mottaki that his country is ready to help Iran to hold the meeting.
The Malawian and Burkinabe foreign ministers also announced their country’s willingness to attend the Iran-Africa meeting.
Mottaki was in Addis Ababa for the 10th regular session of the AU Summit from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. The Islamic Republic of Iran is an observer of the AU.