TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi wound up his two-day visit to South Africa and returned home on Wednesday.

In his debates with South African officials, Kharrazi highlighted the need to expand bilateral ties in all fields and continuation of consultation and cooperation at various international levels.

He also attended the seventh Iran-South Africa Joint Economic Commission headed a high-ranking economic and political delegation.

Kharrazi and her South African counterpart Nkosazana Claric Dlamini-Zuma in the commission signed documents on bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Cooperation between the two countries' standard organizations and between Iran's national petrochemical company and South Africa's national oil company were among the signed documents.

The documents also included two-way cooperation in anti-narcotics campaign, legal and judicial collaboration, exchange of criminals, and academic and research cooperation in women affairs.

The two foreign ministers released a joint statement as well in which they touched upon the international developments following the September 11 incident especially the U.S. attack on Iraq. They also stressed the need for continued political negotiations between the two countries.

The statement further expressed deep sorrow of both Iran and South Africa over adoption of certain policies by some western countries against some of the developing countries under the pretext of anti-terrorism campaign.

It also underlined the right of the Palestinian nation to determine its destiny, and the need for handing back all occupied lands to the Palestinians and establishment of an independent Palestinian administration for a sustainable and just peace in the region.

While in Pretoria, Kharrazi also met the South African President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki who expressed his country's determination to boost relations with Tehran as he lauded the two countries' great economic potentials.

Mbeki said promotion of peace and regional and international security are among the two sides' issues of mutual interests and urged Tehran and Pretoria to follow up such cooperation more actively.

Kharrazi, for his part, termed the outcomes of the commission as "very successful" and said the two countries are ready to further bolster cooperation.

The minister reiterated that formation of the trade association, comprising of Iranian and South African companies, is a valuable step in promotion of bilateral relations.

Iran and South Africa have the capacity to play a complementary role in various economic fields, he said as he described bilateral talks on expansion of industrial cooperation as useful.

Kharrazi also met with South African Minister of Trade and Industry Alec Erwin here on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed possible avenues for bolstering of trade and economic cooperation and stressed further use of bilateral potentials in the Central Asian and South African regions.

Pointing to the volume of oil trade between Iran and South Africa, the two ministers called for diversifying bilateral exchanges and activation of non-oil trade.

Iran's economy plays a decisive role in the region and Pretoria is ready to promote bilateral relations and establish extra-regional ties with Iran, Erwin said.

Kharrazi said exchange of information, holding exhibitions and development of the trade association are among practical measures adopted by the two sides to cover a large market.