Pretoria - The bilateral relationship between South Africa and Iran was in the spot light this week, when Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs, Dr Hadi Solaimanpour, met with International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim.
During their meeting, Solaimanpour and Ebrahim exchanged views on the relationship between the two countries, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said.
Developments in North Africa and the Middle East, which is currently the centre of the world's attention, were also discussed.
From a geographical context, Iran is much closer to developments in the region than South Africa and Iran's understanding of the events proved beneficial to South Africa, DIRCO said.
Also up for discussion was Eleventh Session of the Joint Commission, when DIRCO Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane is expected to host her Iranian counterpart.
The Joint Commission is one of the longest-running and most constructive. It has been found to be a useful mechanism to evaluate the state of bilateral relations between the two countries, DIRCO said.
South Africa and Iran maintain a good relationship and have done so for many years. Relations extend into many fields and Iran is still South Africa's major supplier of crude oil.
According to DIRCO, South Africa's relationship with Iran allows for a frank exchange of views on all issues, including questions related to disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as human rights.
"As pointed out by Deputy Minister Ebrahim, South Africa cannot be a member of the United Nations Security Council and expect to make a positive contribution to its deliberations without engaging all the relevant parties on such issues," it added.
