Iran sees China major partner in post-nuclear-deal era: Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a press conference at the presidential palace in Tehran, Iran, Aug 29, 2015. Iran considers China its major partner in the country's development in the aftermath of the nuclear deal reached in the Austrian capital of Vienna last month, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani saidon Saturday. [Xinhua/Iran's Presidential Office]

Iran considers China its major partner in the country's development in the aftermath of the nuclear deal reached in the Austrian capital of Vienna last month, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday.

From the beginning of current Iranian government, "I had some meetings with the Chinese president including the meeting in Shanghai conference, where we held comprehensive discussions. We also met in Bishkek of Kyrgyzstan and in the recent trip to Russia," Rouhani said.

"Fortunately, our relations with China are at good levels ... and the trend of our relations is progressive," Rouhani told the Xinhua reporter in a press conference.

"There are myriad of plans ahead in Iran in which the Chinese can participate and have a share," he said.

Rouhani referred to the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers, saying that based on the deal, for instance, Iran's heavy water Arak reactor should be improved and modernized with the participation of China and one of the P5+1 countries, probably the United States.

Also, "Iran and China have formed seven working groups which are tasked with studying the development of our future relations, and I hope that we would be able to materialize the plans in the agenda of ties," he said.

China is one of the most important countries in the world and Iran is determined to develop its ties with the country as well as with other regional states, he added.

In his recent trip to China, Iranian Vice President Ali-Akbar Salehi said that Iran looks forward to expanding practical cooperation with China in various fields.

Salehi, also Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said Iran is fully ready to foster its nuclear cooperation with China, according to official IRNA news agency.

China has played a constructive role in the process of past negotiations over Iran's nuclear issue, he was quoted as saying

Salehi said the relations between Iran and China has entered a new stage following the nuclear deal, adding that the two countries have held several negotiations on the construction of a number of 100-megawatt multi-dimensional power plants by China in Iran.