Liu said, since the beginning of this year, President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have met twice. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, from the central government to the local level, from politics, economy, and trade to culture and tourism, the exchanges between China and Iran have become increasingly close at all levels and in various fields. At present, implementation of the comprehensive cooperation plan between China and Iran has started. The Chinese side is ready to work with the Iranian side to advance practical cooperation in various fields in a solid and steady manner, resume and expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges, strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, uphold multilateralism and democracy in international relations, push for greater development of China-Iran relations, and uphold international equity and justice and the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

As ancient civilizations and major nations in Asia, China and Iran have a profound foundation for cooperation. Over 2,000 years ago, Chinese envoy Zhang Qian visited Iran. In the 7th century, many Iranians studied, practiced medicine, and engaged in business in China, leaving their footprints in cities like Xi'an and Guangzhou. In the 13th century, the famous Iranian poet Saadi wrote down his unforgettable trip to Kashgar, Xinjiang in China, in his work Gulistan. In the 15th century, during the Ming Dynasty, Chinese navigator Zheng He led massive fleets on seven voyages, three of which reached Hormuz in southern Iran. The combination of Chinese silk and Iranian craftsmanship gave rise to exquisite Persian carpets, while the fusion of Iranian smalt and Chinese techniques produced elegant blue-and-white porcelain.

Both the Chinese and Iranian peoples uphold the spirit of independence and autonomy, fear no hegemony, and work hard with an unrelenting attitude. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the most significant feature is the collective rise of developing countries. Peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results are the trends of the times, and the process of multi-polarity and the democratization of international relations is unstoppable. The Chinese side highly appreciates Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's "Look East" policy, and supports Iran in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, and expanding South-South cooperation to expand the force for justice in the world.

Facing profound changes in the world, in our times, and in history, President Xi Jinping has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, charting the course for the advancement of human society, which have become crucial pillars for building a community with a shared future for mankind, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to the promotion of global peace and development. Within this framework, China and Iran have achieved fruitful results in energy, trade, infrastructure, and other fields, better benefiting the two peoples and enhancing the internal driving force for regional security and development. China and Iran, through practice, have proven that developing countries have the right and ability to explore their distinctive paths to modernization. The Chinese side is willing to work hand in hand with the Iranian side to promote the exchange and progress of world civilizations.

The Iranian side said that the two countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship, and thanked the Chinese side for its help and support in Iran's national development and fight against the epidemic. In recent years, the cooperative relationship between the two countries has become increasingly in-depth and close. During Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to China this year, he met with Chinese leaders and reached broad consensus. Attaching importance to working with the Chinese side to implement the consensus, the Iranian side highly appreciates and supports President Xi Jinping's proposals for the future development of humanity, including the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, seeing them as significant contributions by China, an ancient civilization, to the peace, development, and stability of the contemporary world. China has held international conferences such as the Understanding China conference, which have successfully built a bridge of communication between all parties, aiding in the promotion of mutual trust, understanding, and the elimination of doubts. The Iranian side applauds the Chinese side's just and impartial stance on the Palestine issue and China's Position Paper of the People’s Republic of China on Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, which helps promote the political settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli issue and uphold international fairness and justice.

In the interactive session, Liu engaged in discussions with participants on how to perceive and develop China-Iran relations, cooperation on international and regional issues, and upholding a just and reasonable international order. He answered questions from the audience and introduced relevant information about Chinese modernization and China's economic development. He elaborated on China's principled position on the international order, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the relations between major countries.

Mohammad Hassan Sheykholeslami, Director of the IPIS of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, presided over the event. The IPIS, established in 1983, is a research institute under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. It is one of the famous think tanks in Iran and has important influence on politics, economy, law and macro policy of Iran.

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