On his trip to China, Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran said that Beijing is Tehran’s strategic partner.

In this visit, Zarif was accompanied by Ali Larijani, the speaker of Majlis (Parliament) and a delegation. Zarif called the visit “a new beginning” and said that “China is an important country for Iran and has a big role in Iran’s foreign policy.”

In the Beijing Airport, Ali Larijani said to the reporters that each member of his delegation will have talks with their Chinese counterparts and Iran is trying to improve its relations with China.

The Iranian delegation was invited by the Chinese National Congress.

Ministers of oil, economy, and the head of the central bank are accompanying Zarif and Larijani on this trip.

The foreign minister of China also emphasized on the importance of the relations between the two countries and said: “The Chinese president’s trip to Iran in 2016 has improved the relations between the two countries to a strategic level.”