Zarif: Iran supports battle against Boko Haram and al-Qaeda

Zarif, who is in Nigeria along with an economic-political delegation as the first leg in his 6-day tour to Africa, held talks with his Nigerian counterpart Geoffrey Onyeama in Ajuba on Monday.

During the meeting, the two sides conferred on measures on how to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various economic and political fields and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern and interest.

Geoffrey Onyeama, for his part, said his country is keen to expand bilateral ties with Iran in political, economic, scientific, cultural and international domains.

He also hailed lifting international sanctions on Iran and said his country does not want to rely only on oil and is ready to use Iran’s experiences and expand ties with the country.

Zarif attended in Iran-Nigeria Joint Economic and Trade Commission in Abuja and said that the two states may have an important and effective role in international organizations in the framework of OPEC, Non-Aligned Movement, Group-8 Islamic developing states (D-8) and the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said that when he visited Iran last year, he was impressed with Iran's eye-catching progress in all fields.

He said that he was pleased with removal of sanctions on Iran and that Nigeria supports expansion of ties and cooperation in the fields of science and technology, economic ties and trade.

Zarif, leading a politico-economic delegation arrived in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, on Sunday evening at beginning of his tour to four West African countries.

He met with Nigerian president and will depart for Ghana after a meeting with Nigerian speaker of parliament.

After Ghana, Zarif and accompanying delegation are to visit Guinea Conakry and Mali

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