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Tehran And Abuja For A "New Dialogue" Between Regional Powers
TEHRAN (News Agencies) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and his Nigerian counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo decided Wednesday to establish "a new type of dialogue" between two regional powers, a source close to Obasanjo said.
Major producers of crude, they resolved to step up cooperation on oil matters and develop stronger economic and cultural ties.
Obasanjo, who arrived in Tehran Tuesday night for his first visit to the sensitive Middle East region since he took power in May 1999, hailed what he called excellent relations between Tehran and Abuja.
He called for new type of cooperation with Iran, taking into full account the two countries' huge economic potential in oil and gas.
Economic and cultural agreements, as well as partnerships in the fields of technology, agriculture and the fight against desertification are due to be signed on Thursday.
Until now, trade links between Iran and Nigeria had been poor and religious issues had long dominated relations - the former is Shiite Muslim ruled while the latter is roughly evenly split between Muslims and Christians.
After meeting with Khatami Wednesday, the Nigerian leader visited the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, before talks with Khomeini's successor, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Speaking to reporters, he said Iran was a great power in the Gulf region and both countries would profit from their reciprocal experiences.
"We should pour cold water on the hands of those who think that developing countries cannot have trade exchanges," he added.
"This is an unprecedented dialogue and cooperation between two regional powers, both densely populated, potentially rich with huge oil and gas resources," said a source in the Nigerian delegation.
Iran is the world's second largest oil producer with 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd), while Nigeria is ranked sixth in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, with two million bpd.
Both countries belong to the Non-Aligned movement and the Group of 77 (G-77), the chairmanship of which Nigeria will hand over to Iran later this year.
The 133 developing nations in the G-77 want to develop cooperation between themselves in an attempt to achieve economic independence from rich countries.
For his part, Khatami on Wednesday hailed what he called "privileged" Tehran-Abuja relations and also payed homage to his guest and his country.
"The African continent is important. But it is oppressed even if its future is bright," Khatami said, also noting that Nigeria was a highly populated country rich in resources.
He added Tehran was planning to develop its "African policy".
The Iranian president called Obasanjo a "man of peace", but refrained from making direct allusions to Nigeria's internal situation, which has been dominated over the past months by violent clashes in the north of the country between Christians and Muslims.
Despite opposition from the Christian-dominated government, eight Nigerian provinces have adopted the Sharia' Islamic code in less than a year. Obasanjo himself is a born-again Christian.
"Cultural matters have been discussed and we consider Khatami as the initiator of the 'dialogue between civilizations'", the source close to Obasanjo added, referring to a U.N. program that will be celebrated throughout 2001.
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