Iran resolved to open new chapter in ASEAN cooperation: Deputy FM

Iran is determined to open a new chapter in its cooperation with the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour says.

In a meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta on Friday, Rahimpour thanked Indonesia as an ASEAN member for its support for Iran’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).

During their 49th meeting in the Laos capital of Vientiane on July 24, ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to Iran’s request for joining the bloc’s TAC.

ASEAN is a regional organization comprising 10 Southeast Asian states which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic integration amongst its members. Since its formation on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, ASEAN’s membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Its principal aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and socio-cultural evolution among its members, alongside the protection of regional stability and the provision of a mechanism for member states to resolve differences peacefully.

Rahimpour further said Indonesia is a priority in Iran’s foreign policy, adding that a planned visit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Tehran would play a very important role in accelerating agreements previously signed between the two countries and strengthening bilateral relations.

The Iranian official added that the Islamic Republic supports Indonesia in regional and international circles.

The Indonesian foreign minister said his country regards Iran as its own friend and is ready to improve relations with Iran at regional and international levels.

Rahimpour and Marsudi further urged boosting banking transactions in a bid to facilitate trade cooperation between Tehran and Jakarta.

MG