Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi will kick off his African tour today, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Kenya's foreign ministry said that the visit had been delayed for key memoranda of understanding to be finalized.
The statement said presidents Ruto and Raïssi would have a bilateral meeting. Iran seeks to boost economic and political ties with Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Middle East senior expert Kamiar Babak stated that the stakes of this African outreach are high.
According to him, "Since the United States unilaterally abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018 (JCPoA), Teheran has been looking to diversify its relationships. So looking at the potential in these three African countries in particular, and the volume of the African market in general, this really seems promising”.
In recent months, Iran has stepped up its diplomacy. If the signature of deals is anticipated for the first trip to Africa by an Iranian leader in 11 years, sanctions on the middle eastern nation remain a problem, a stumbling block even.
The war in Ukraine has also been a major blow to Iran. Accusations that Teheran could be siding with Russia has alienated Iran the support of potential European partners.
The Iranian delegation will therefore include senior businesspeople in addition to officials such as the Foreign Minister.
In March, Tehran agreed to restore ties with regional rival Saudi Arabia under a China-mediated deal. Iran's president also travelled to Indonesia before undertaking a Latin American tour that included Venezuela last June.
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: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Visits Africa for the First time in 11 Years){kind=link}
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