TEHRAN — Iran’s ambassador to China has felicitated the Mid-Fall Festival and National Day of the People's Republic of China, expressing satisfaction that Tehran and Beijing have accelerated their mutual cooperation in different spheres.

In a tweet on Thursday, Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh wrote that Iran and China have had good diplomatic relations for several decades.

The ambassador expressed the hope that the next year both countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of these relations more gloriously.

The tweet came after Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif felicitated China on the 71st anniversary of the foundation of New China, and wished for wider partnership between Tehran and Beijing.

Zarif, on his Twitter account on Tuesday, expressed the hope that the two countries will develop further partnership and cooperation.

He also hailed the Chinese government and nation’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

“China’s success in controlling the pandemic and achieving a strong economic recovery was hard-won but difficult,” Zarif wrote in Chinese, according to Iran Press.

“On these two occasions, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the Chinese government and people. I wish China more prosperity, and I also wish the prospects of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will be broader,” he added.

A partnership plan between Iran and China, officially known as “Comprehensive Cooperation Plan between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” is still under negotiation.

Some details of the 25-year partnership have been leaked to the press. According to the leaks, China will invest a whopping $400 billion in various Iranian sectors including oil and gas. In exchange, Iran will ensure steady energy supplies to China for a period of 25 years at a discounted rate.

In remarks on June 21, President Hassan Rouhani elaborated on the strategic partnership, saying that the agreement is a positive step towards increasing the importance of global energy and sustainable development of oil and gas resources, as well as renewable energy and joint investment in free zones.

MH/PA