Iran, N. Korea Reiterate Expansion of Ties

Tehran an Pyongyang stressed the need for the further development of their relations in a meeting between caretaker of North Korea’s foreign ministry and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki here in Tehran on Friday.

During the meeting, Mottaki noted the resolve of the two countries’ leaders to continue friendship and cooperation between Iran and North Korea, and voiced enthusiasm of President Ahmadinejad’s administration for the further expansion of ties with Pyongyang in all the political, economic and cultural areas.

He further called for the removal of barriers in the way of the development of the two states’ relations and demanded identification and preparation of new cooperation grounds.

The minister described North Korea’s debts to Iran as an impediment for further cooperation between the two sides, but meantime, underlined that Tehran and Pyongyang can find a formula to solve the problem.

He also voiced Iran’s support for the trend of cooperation between North and South Koreas as a prelude to the unity of the two Koreas.

For his part, Kim Yung Il described the two countries’ ties as cordial and historical, and praised the independence-seeking spirit of the Iranian nation and government.

Assessing Iran-North Korea relations as developing and expanding, he reminded the two countries’ good cooperation and said, “We are well informed of the significance of relations with Iran and we will continue extending support for the Islamic Republic at all international bodies and circles.”

The Pyongyang official further underlined Iranian nation’s legitimate right to access peaceful nuclear energy, and voiced his country’ preparedness to further cooperate with Iran in the different economic grounds.

At the end of the meeting, the two countries’ foreign ministries signed a memorandum of cooperation on regular annual exchange of visits by the two countries’ foreign ministers, exchange of views and consultations about different international issues and enhanced cooperation and coordination between the two ministries.