Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Chinese counterpart General Chang Wanquan (photo), in a meeting in Tehran earlier this week, signed an agreement to further develop defense and military cooperation between the two countries.
Expansion of defense-military cooperation, exchange of experience in military fields, especially in training, and all-out campaign against terrorism and insecurity in the region are among the most important contents of the agreement, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.
During the meeting, General Dehqan underlined that defense and military cooperation between Iran and China guarantees peace and security in the region and the world, and said: “Enhancement of long-term defense-military relations and cooperation with China is among the main priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran's defensive diplomacy.”
For his part, Chang described the defense-military cooperation with Iran as good, and underscored the necessity for the expansion and deepening of bilateral ties and precise implementation of defense and military agreements between the two countries.
Dehqan and Chang in a meeting in Beijing in May 2014 had underlined development of cooperation between the two countries in military and defensive fields.
“The historical relations between the two countries which date back to over 2000 years ago are full of instances of cooperation in cultural, economic, industrial and technological arenas,” Dehqan said.
He referred to the two countries’ abundant advantages and potentials in different fields, and laid emphasis on the consolidation of the bilateral relations, namely in defensive, military and security areas.
“We can remove the two sides’ common security concerns over extremism, terrorism drug trafficking and piracy by developing military cooperation,” Dehqan said.
Chang said: “Given Iran and China's common views over many important political-security, regional and international issues, Beijing assumes Tehran as its strategic partner.”
Meanwhile, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri underlined the good defense ties and cooperation with Beijing, and said Tehran is ready to hold joint military drills with China.
“The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its armed forces are our very good friends and the Islamic Republic is fully ready to develop and deepen defense and military cooperation between the two countries, including in staging military drills,” General Baqeri said in a meeting with Chinese Defense Minister General Chang Wanquan in Tehran on Monday.
He added that Iran is also ready to cooperate and exchange its experience with China in sea and air battles as well as confronting threats to nations’ sovereignty.
