Different future awaiting Iran-Korea ties: Kharrazi
Head of the Foreign Policy Strategic Council Kamal Kharrazi said on Monday that Iran-South Korea ties have experienced strategic changes over the past four years which makes the future of relations different from the past.
He made the remarks in a meeting with South Korea's deputy foreign minister Choi Jong-kun who is currently in Tehran at the head of a delegation.
Highlighting the significance of Iran-South Korea relations and Seoul's determination to expand cooperation, Choi deplored the unintended problems imposed on relations between the two countries.
He further hoped effective steps could be taken in line sustainable development of mutual cooperation by resolving the existing problems.
Referring to the Iranian people's respect for the Korean people, Kharrazi strongly criticized the approach of the Korean government and Korean companies in surrendering to US pressure, saying that in the past, there were good relations between the two countries, but now, unfortunately, due to the Korean government's compliance with US pressure, $7 billion of Iranian assets have been frozen in Korean banks, and it cannot even withdraw money to buy medicine.
Korean companies have lost good opportunities in Iran over the past years, he said, noting that if bilateral relations are normalized in future, Korean companies can think about investment, transfer of technical knowledge and participation in production instead of selling products to the country, Kharrazi said.
He expressed hope that the visit of the Korean delegation's visit to Tehran would help the country's officials to better understand the realities of Iran and new opportunities for cooperation.
Korean official stressed the need for boosting Tehran-Seoul relations, saying that his visit to Iran should have taken place earlier.
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