Chinese Premier meets Iran´s first vice president

Source: Xinhua | 04-18-2009 08:47

SANYA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met here Friday with Parviz Davoodi, first vice president of Iran, in south China's Hainan Province.

Wen said to develop friendship and cooperation between China and Iran is conducive to the fundamental interests of both countries and world peace and development as well.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with Iran's First Vice  President Parviz Davoodi in Sanya, south China's Hainan  Province, April 17, 2009. Davoodi arrived here to attend the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2009 which would  be held in Boao, a scenic town in Hainan, from April 17 to 19. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

"China respects Iran's nuclear program for peaceful purpose, resolutely safeguards the international non-proliferation system and advocates that the Iranian nuclear issue should be peacefully resolved through negotiation," said Wen.

He also called on relevant parties involved in the Iranian nuclear issue to seize the current favorable opportunity and make positive efforts to restart the negotiation as soon as possible.

China is willing to continue to play a constructive role, he added.