TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that his administration’s priority is to establish “strategic ties” with Iran’s neighbors to mitigate the impact of problems facing the country.

“At present, we should prioritize closer and strategic relations with our neighbors,” Rouhani said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Iran Daily reported.

“There is good potential and in case our ties with our neighbors are boosted, we can overcome problems more easily,” he added.

Iran shares land and maritime borders with 15 countries, many of them are Iran’s main trading partners.

MH/PA