Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey met with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in Tehran on 24 January to discuss the expansion of diplomatic relations, economic investment, and infrastructure development.
Dussey also met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who expressed his readiness to work with Togo on a wide range of diplomatic and economic initiatives.
A statement published on the official website of the Republic of Togo said that the Togolese foreign minister placed an emphasis on his country’s eagerness to establish wide-ranging and comprehensive relations with Iran.
Quoting the Togolese Foreign Ministry Office, the statement added that “Lomé trusts Tehran’s approaches in the development process of relations, and hopes that the policies of economic cooperation and development with Africa is boosted through mutual partnership.”
In his meeting with Raisi, the Togolese envoy condemned western sanctions on “independent nations and states.”
In its statement following the meeting, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Raisi alluded to history in explaining how “westerners have mainly sought to colonize and exploit the African continent, and today they are pursuing their desires and interests in different forms.”
President Raisi underlined the fact that Iran stood with the “independence, progress and welfare” of Africa, and that the continent had all the “necessary capacities for development and prosperity.”
Raisi then commended the African people for having preserved their independence, while also noting that “their success depends on the emphasis on national and cultural identity, and resistance to extravagance.”