Speaking at a joint press conference with Speaker of Ethiopia’s House of Representatives Tagesse Chafo at the Iranian Parliament on Saturday, Ghalibaf highlighted the two nations’ long-standing 7-decade relationship.
He noted that Chaffo’s official two-day visit to Tehran comes following Ghalibaf’s visit to Addis Ababa last year and coincides with Iran and Ethiopia joining BRICS.
The Iranian speaker described Ethiopia as a major African country with a large population and deep cultural and religious ties to the Islamic world, particularly Iran.
He emphasized that both countries have identified economic, political, and cultural development as key goals for bilateral cooperation.
The speaker further mentioned plans to expand economic and trade ties via the Red Sea corridor and strengthen parliamentary cooperation through friendship groups, which would facilitate faster joint work between economic commissions of both legislatures.
Recalling his previous talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ghalibaf said the prime minister has promised to visit Tehran, a move expected to deepen political and economic relations further.
He added that Iran aims to enhance cooperation with African countries, particularly in the Horn of Africa, supporting territorial integrity while exploring opportunities in agriculture, energy, technical services, and knowledge-based industries with Ethiopia.
In turn, the Ethiopian parliament speaker praised Iran for over seven decades of diplomatic relations and noted that the current visit marks the highest-level Ethiopian delegation hosted in Tehran since the historic royal visit six decades ago.
Referring to Ghalibaf’s recent visit to Ethiopia, Chafo expressed hope for deepening parliamentary cooperation and expanding bilateral ties between governments and peoples.
He highlighted shared historical and cultural connections, the significance of BRICS membership, and targeted efforts to enhance political, economic, and cultural relations.
He also said plans are underway for an Iranian parliamentary delegation to visit Ethiopia, while Ethiopia-Iran parliamentary friendship groups will also visit Tehran to expand cooperation.
IRNA