TEHRAN (IRNA) -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said here on Monday that Iran and Eritrea see no limit for expansion of mutual cooperation.

“Eritrea is a familiar name for the Iranian nation and long years of perseverance and resistance for freedom is a sweet memory of the Eritrean people in the Iranian nation’s minds,” he said in a press conference after closed door talks with his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki immediately after the welcoming ceremony.
He said, “We’ve held fruitful talks on different subjects relevant to bilateral ties, mutual investment in the agriculture, industry and energy sectors and regional and international cooperation.” He added that the two countries shared common views on the regional and global issues, the hegemonic system’s performance and ways to resist the hegemony.
He said that both countries will defend rights of each other and of other independent nations.
He said Iranian and Eritrean officials are busy in talks on different issues and they are determined to found firm relations.
Meanwhile, Afwerki said, for his part, that relations between Iran and Eritrea date back to tens of years ago and they share mutual stance and view points.
He said that his Tehran visit availed him and his delegation with a valuable chance to hold talks on economic and commercial ties.
“I believe regional and international cooperation would guarantee regional peace and stability.”
He also thanked President Ahmadinejad for facilitating the visit and the Iranian nation for supporting the Eritrean nation.
Afwerki arrived in Tehran a few hours ago, heading a high ranking political and economic delegation, and was welcomed by Iran’s Minister of Agriculture Jihad Mohammad-Reza Eskandari at Mehrabad Airport.
Senior delegations of both sides are scheduled to hold official talks in the presence of both presidents.
Eritrea is located in northeast of African continent near Red Sea.
Eritrea has a population of 4.9 million people and Islam and Christianity are two major religions in the country.
Eritrea which was once a colony of Italy attained its independence in 1993 from Ethiopia.