TEHRAN- The Iran-China Think Tank Dialogue Forum had its inaugural meeting held on Saturday in Tehran.

The forum was held at the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) in Tehran.

Several researchers from Chinese think tanks were present, along with IPIS Head Mohammad Hassan Sheikholeslami, Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers for Political Affairs Ali Baqeri and Economic Diplomacy Mahdi Safari.

Sheikholeslami referred to China and Iran as two great civilizations and stated that both countries have contributed significantly to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and science throughout history. 

He pointed out that Iran and China have always maintained cordial and productive ties with respect to important regional and global problems because of this shared historical basis.

The Iranian deputy foreign minister for economic diplomacy also mounted the stage to praise Tehran-Beijing ties. 

According to Safari, recent trips by Iranian and Chinese officials to the two nations have opened a new chapter in bilateral relations, particularly in commercial connections.

He said that deeper collaboration in other sectors could be facilitated by Iran and China’s membership in groups like the Shanghai cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS.

During the meeting, Baqeri stated that the officials from China and Iran are committed to deepening their bilateral ties across all domains.

Baqeri explained the three guiding principles of Iran’s foreign policy—wisdom, dignity, and expediency—and emphasized that a closer relationship with China is predicated on these ideas.

He continued that more collaboration between Beijing and Tehran in non-Western international groups like the SCO and BRICS could enhance relations between Tehran and Beijing in a number of areas.

Li Wentang, the vice president of the Central University of the Communist Party of China, also emphasized the significance of China and Iran in Asia, noting that Beijing and Tehran have long had cordial ties in a variety of areas.

He emphasized that the world is undergoing profound change and that, in order to adapt to the new circumstances, China and Iran should increase their bilateral, regional, and global cooperation.

On November 07, Iran’s Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Ehsan Khandouzi said the 25-year strategic partnership plan between Iran and China has entered a new phase with new agreements being reached between various ministries of the two countries.

According to Khandouzi, the mentioned agreements have been reached between the two sides during the visit of Iran’s delegation to the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE).

“Specific projects were defined between the government departments of the respective ministries of Iran and China, and agreements were reached on the details of the implementation of the mentioned projects,” Khandouzi said.

Regarding the private sectors of the two countries, some Iranian companies operating in China and some large Chinese companies operating in Iran faced obstacles, which were discussed and resolved by the relevant authorities, he explained.

“We are going to witness a significant growth in economic cooperation and investment between the two sides with the implementation of these projects,” the minister noted.