Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif waves after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, June 10, 2016. (REUTERS)
July 24, 2016
Iran’s sponsored Press TV reported that Zarif will leave Tehran on Sunday at the head of a politico-economic delegation for a six-day visit.
Zarif is reported that he plans to hold talks with senior officials, including presidents, parliament speakers and foreign ministers, of Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry and Mali.
The Iranian minister will wrap up his visit to West Africa on Friday.
Zarif has already paid two official visits to Africa.
He visited four East African countries – Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania – in February 2015, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Tehran’s ties with Africa.
The Iranian foreign minister also made a visit to North African countries of Tunisia and Algeria in August 2015.
Iran has sought to have strong presence in some African countries through agricultural and economic projects, in addition to humanitarian missions. Some reports reveal that over the past years, the Iranian regime have used some countries in this continent through proxy Lebanese Hezbollah organisation to smuggle weapons and avoid international sanctions. Iranian regime has been of accused of spreading Iranian version of Shi’ism among Muslim communities in Africa.
