TEHRAN – The Chinese president on Friday praised Iran’s independent position toward international developments and called the relations between Beijing and Tehran “strategic”.

“The relations of Iran and China is strategic and will develop irrespective of any international event,” Xi Jinping said in a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who has attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Xi also pointed to Iran’s important position in the region and the larger world and said, “China supports the membership of Iran in BRICS.”

BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 

Xi also invited Raisi to visit China.

The presidents of Iran and China also held talks on promoting economic cooperation and made decisions in this regard.

President Raisi also lauded China’s constructive approach in the process of Iran’s membership in the SCO and thanked Beijing for backing Iran to join BRICS.

In his meeting with the Chinese leader, Raisi also said despite all hostilities by certain countries Iran’s move toward progress “has never” and “will never” been stopped and that the Islamic Republic will continue its path toward economic development.

Raisi also said the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China shows that the two countries are firm to develop ties in all areas.

Existing potentials in the fields of oil and energy, transit, agriculture, commerce, and investment have created a very good situation for deepening economic ties between Iran and China, Raisi stated.

The president also criticized the U.S. and the European troika (Britain, France and Germany) for failing to honor their commitments in efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Raisi added, “Iran will never back down in the face of U.S. blackmailing.”