Iranian electricity, water industries ready for unlimited expansion of ties with S. Africa

Tehran, June 25, IRNA – IRI Power Minister Seyyed Parviz Fattah said here Wednesday Iranian water and Electricity industries face no limits for expansion of ties with South Africa.

According to IRNA Economic Desk reporter, the Iranian Energy Minister made the comment in a meeting with the South African Ambassador to Tehran, Ebrahim Mohammad Sali, at Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Energy.
Fattah added, “The ground is quite paved for the expansion of bilateral relations and proper advantage should be taken of this ripe atmosphere.”
The Iranian energy minister expressing Iran’s tendency for expansion of bilateral relations, reiterated, “Keeping in mind the existing potentials in the two countries, we can expect broader cooperation between the two countries in water and electricity industries.”
Pointing out that Iran is self sufficient in water and energy fields today, Fattah said, “We owe this efficiency to hard work of Iranian technicians and engineers, having realized that the less dependent we would be on the West, the stronger we would get.”
The South African ambassador, too, expressing delight over the meeting with the Iranian minister said, “Geographical distance cannot create an obstacle in the way of Iran-South African close cooperation, and I assure you once delegations from both countries would begin visiting the other country, each side would get a good image about the other side’s needs and capabilities.”
Sali added, “Unfortunately so far the bulk of the two countries’ trade ties have been allocated to the traditional oil sale deals, and in order to reach a good level of cooperation more efforts are needed.”
The ambassador of South Africa to Tehran pointing out that in the past most of his country’s relations were with the European and North American countries, reiterated, “Presently our priorities have changed and our topmost priority is the African countries, followed by the Persian Gulf countries, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Mohammad Sali further reiterated, “We also need to direct the two countries’ private sectors about the new orientation, and of course that is that is what we are currently doing in South Africa.”
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