TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that expanding and deepening ties with the African countries, especially Kenya as a friendly country, is Iran’s principled policy.

“Tehran welcomes expansion of Tehran-Nairobi cooperation in economic sphere,” Rouhani said during a meeting in Tehran with Justin Bedan Njoka Muturi, the speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya.

Rouhani added, “Kenya is a friendly country to the Islamic Republic of Iran in Africa and the ground to increase cooperation between the two countries has been provided after the conclusion of the JCPOA (the official name for nuclear deal) and removal of sanctions.”

He said that Iran is ready to help Kenya in energy sphere and suggested that the Nairobi government can facilitate investment by Iranian private sector.

Rouhani also highlighted the importance of expanding relations in areas of science, technology and tourism.

Elsewhere, he attached importance to expansion of parliamentary relations.

Commenting on terrorism, Rouhani described the issue as an “international problem” and called for eradicating it.

Iran and Kenya can cooperate in fighting terrorism, he added.

For his part, Muturi said that Kenya is determined to expand ties with Iran in various areas.

He added that implementing the JCPOA has laid the ground to expand relations with Iran.

Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) finalized the text of the JCPOA in July 2015. The nuclear agreement took effect in January 2016.

NA/PA