Chinese FM in Iran to sign long-term strategic deal

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday met with senior Iranian officials in Tehran and signed a strategic deal between the two countries, Iran's state TV reported.

The official visit to Iran by Wang Yi, who arrived on Friday, also marks the 50th year of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The 25-year cooperation program also known as Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed on Saturday, has been hammered out since Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in 2016.

Wang Yi met Ali Larijani, former Iranian parliament speaker, has been appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to pursue the deal.

The strategic agreement acts as a roadmap that oversees Iran-China's multilayered and deep relations for the next 25 years encompassing a wide range of economic, trade, transportation, cultural, security and defense areas, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Chinese foreign minister is scheduled to meet his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani later Saturday.