Iran Has Always Sided with Anti-Apartheid Movements: Ghana’s President
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Visiting Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama lauded Iran as a close friend of African nations and a supporter of anti-apartheid movements, saying that Ghana attaches particular importance to its relations with the Islamic Republic.
Speaking in a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Sunday, Mahama congratulated Iran on the 37th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the recent implementation of a nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, saying that his country has always praised the Islamic Republic for its capacity to use dialogue and interaction for promotion of peace and stability in the region and world.
He said he is proud to be the first African leader visiting Iran after its July 2015 nuclear deal with the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Iran has always been a close friend for Africa and a supporter of freedom-seeking movements against apartheid, the Ghanaian president added.
In the first visit by a Ghanaian president to Iran in 37 years, Mahama is also slated to meet with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
His remarks come against the backdrop of a new wave of interest in ties with Iran after Tehran and the Group 5+1 on July 14, 2015 reached a conclusion over the text of a comprehensive 159-page deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and implemented it on January 16.
The comprehensive nuclear deal, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), terminated all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran.
