TEHRAN - President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Africa’s strategic importance has a special place in Iran’s foreign policy, saying Tehran seriously follows comprehensive ties with African states based on balanced diplomacy and mutual interest.

In a meeting with General Célestin Simporé, Burkina Faso’s minister of state, war and patriotic defense, Pezeshkian voiced Iran’s readiness to share technological expertise and capabilities in scientific, industrial, and defense fields with Burkina Faso.

He also commended Burkina Faso’s independent and anti-hegemonic stance, expressing confidence in the country’s success in confronting terrorism.

Simpore, for his part, praised the Iranian nation’s resilience in the face of decades of sanctions and external pressure, calling Iran’s defense and technological advances a testament to strategic self-reliance.

Referring to Burkina Faso’s years-long battle with insecurity, he said his country looks to Iran’s experience as a source of inspiration, stressing that sovereignty is achieved through national determination and resistance to domination.

Earlier on Monday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said that the Islamic Republic, in line with its principled position toward international issues, is firm to deepen ties with independent and revolutionary countries in the West African region, especially Burkina Faso.