Xi's Iran visit extraordinary event for bilateral ties: Chinese envoy

TEHRAN -?Chinese President Xi Jinping is about to visit Iran later this week, and that will be an extraordinary event for the relationship of the two nations, said Pang Sen, Chinese ambassador to Iran.

Days before Xi's visit, Pang told Xinhua in an interview that the trip will, in his words, leave "an indelible mark" in the history of bilateral high-level exchanges between Beijing and Tehran.

Over the past two year, China and Iran have seen a series of high-level exchanges, and that have strengthened their mutual trust and understanding.

Meanwhile, the two countries' bilateral economic and trade exchanges and cooperation have been continuously expanding. In 2014, two-way trade reached $50 billion dollars.

Speaking of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the envoy said Iran has been very active in working with China on this front, adding that bilateral ties can be even more prosperous under the initiative.

The belt and road initiative is proposed by the Chinese government in 2013, and is put forward to better integrate China into the global economy.

Iran was an ancient civilization along the ancient Silk Road, and is now China's key partner to promote the initiative, Pang said, adding that a number of key joint projects have been progressing steadily.

According to Pang, the two heads of states, during the visit, are expected to exchange views on bilateral relations, as well as major global and regional issues.

The two nations are also going to sign a number of agreements and memorandums in a variety of areas, ranging from industrial capacity cooperation, investment, oil and gas to cultural exchanges, information sharing and Customs, he said.

China is the world's largest developing country while Iran is a regional power, he said, noting that the two nations have neither unfinished problems inherited from the past nor conflicting interests at the moment.

He believes that the friendly cooperation between the two nations will not only conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but is also going to help promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

As the Chinese president is about to visit Iran, he will bring with him good wishes from the Chinese people, as well as their high expectations for a bright future of bilateral ties