Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a meeting with the President of the Central African Republic Francois Bozize here in Tehran on Friday, stressed that the two countries share common views on a wide range of regional and international issues.

During the meeting held on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit on Friday, Ahmadinejad lauded the two countries' age-old relations, and noted, "Iran and the Central African Republic enjoy constructive and similar views on regional and international issues."

He mentioned that these common views have provided good grounds for the expansion of the two states' relations, adding that the level of economic ties between Iran and the African country should boost to match the level of their political relations.

Bozize, too, called for both countries' cooperation to improve their bilateral ties.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration has striven hard to maximize relations with the African continent.

Iran is also an observing member of the AU and has shown an active presence in previous AU summit meetings.

The country is considered as one of the AU's strategic partners along with India, Japan, China, several South American states and Turkey, while Tehran is also believed to be prioritizing promotion of its economic and political ties with the African states.
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News ID 182576