All sectors of Iran are looking forward to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Iran, hoping that it will create more cooperative opportunities with China, said Ahad Mohammadi, President of the Iran-China Friendship Association.

During an exclusive interview with the China Central Television (CCTV), on January 20, Ahad Mohammadi said, “We feel so delighted that he will visit Iran because it will definitely begin a new chapter in the bilateral relations.
“At present the international politics and the Middle East situation are changing at any time. So each sector of Iran is looking forward to President Xi’s visit, hoping that we could start negotiations with China on regional issues as well as bilateral relations and further deepen our relations with China,” said Mohammadi.
He said the Iran-China Friendship Association has made constant efforts to enhance the friendly communication between the peoples of China and Iran.
Mohammadi, who has visited most parts of China over the past 18 years, admires the achievements that China has made. 
Mohammadi said that China’s “Belt and Road” initiative has received much praise in Iran and there is a huge space for cooperation in developing the initiative.
“All the politicians and business people of Iran consider that the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative will play a key role and they are eagerly looking forward to making active efforts for it,” Mohammadi explained.
He also said Iran is hoping to receive a growing number of Chinese tourists and more investment from China in Iran’s tourism industry.
“Iran and China have similar cultures. So we believe Iran is a great traveling destination for Chinese tourists. In the near future, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Iran each year could surpass one million. The Iranian government and travel department are working out plans for this goal. We need more Chinese food restaurants and we need more Chinese interpreters,” Mohammadi stated.