in a world where the news never ends, understanding what's behind the headlines is more important than ever. it takes listening to the people behind the news and to the journalist for reporting their stories except intimacy that makes every international story local at heart. i'm only can be that host of the take a daily news podcast, powered by the global reporting of al jazeera, bind us where ever you get your podcasts. the iranian president, abraham, right, you see is on an applicant to we're hoping to forge new alliances as it runs the economy struggles under western sanctions. what can africa offer? it doesn't want to have any influence on the concept. this is inside story. the

hello and welcome to the program. i'm how much in room, so i'm have called it a new beginning for relations between iran and african nations. the ronnie and president is visiting the continent to increase trade and economic ties with stops in kenya, uganda and zimbabwe. it's a different approach for a country that for years has focus mostly within the middle east and parts of asia . but faced with us sanctions, it appears that ron is now increasingly looking elsewhere to diversifying its economy. but are there other factors a place we have to or i guess in a moment the 1st this report from katya lopez for the young one welcome for rance presidents and can use capital. it's a rare tour for abraham rising, marking the 1st visit to africa, buying a rainy and presidents in more than a decade. us sanctions have isolated to run for years. and trade deals in africa could lead to new business opportunities and new alliances.

was that none of us are satisfied with the current volume of trade and the ongoing economic exchange between iran and kenya. their van exported more than a $1000000000.00 worth of goods to nations in africa last year from petrochemical products to food and medicine. now, it's aiming for more rand stepped up, it's diplomatic approach after the us to re impose sanctions in 2018. when the former president donald trump ditched a nuclear pact. now a ranch foreign policy appears to be shifting again after restoring diplomatic ties with saudi arabia in march, it seems to be expanding its economic and political reach beyond the region. some analysts say less tension with neighbors is leading to more attention abroad.

rise the visited venezuela to the and the good as well last month to increased trade and economic ties and latin america. the feeling periodic despite imperial aggressions and sanctions imposed by the us, venezuela is still standing, its extending attend to iran to build a new world. william bhutto was no fool around, has described africa as a continent of opportunities to run is now hoping rise. these visit will help lead to new prospects, both political and economic katia lopez again for inside story. the . alright, let's go ahead and bring in our guests in nairobi in college. i'm a senior analyst at san research. i think tank focusing on security and development in the horn of africa into ron ali akbar during the researcher at the center for strategic studies. and in miami, eric globe associate professor at florida international university and a member of the board of trustees at the american institute of iranian studies,

a warm welcome to you all. and thanks so much for joining us today on inside story . all the, let me start with you today to ron is called this 3 country tour of africa, a new beginning in relations with the consonant. what kind of new relationship new beginning is present, arise the expecting and, and what is he hoping to achieve with this trip? a cruiser raises visits to africa, is in line with his administration's absence to creates new alliances with the non western world in the current era of transition and international relations from the unipolar world to multiple of their system. it is also in line with his look to the east policy of expanding to condone making political relations of the normal list and was iran is a new king for closer relations with africa,

to diversify its economy and defeat the sanctions. one way of defeating the sanctions is to increase in violence international presence, improved from oppression with the non list involved. this can help you know, wrong gets out of isolation and defeat to sanctions. in this context, the, the race administration looks at africa as incontinence. or put too much use that's had been largely ignored by the previous one, yet ministration. the previous row have most fractions. top priority was to get the sanction lifted. and he was, he was, he's team was influenced by the no liberalism, the school for the full to us. so it runs problems through negotiations with the rest. but the jobs to be way proved to be a disaster. the sanctions are not lifted. do you not get the united states,

but the raise administration has adopted a new strategy of, of trying to support and notify the sanctions. why keeping due to the power of diplomacy open in case there is a way to revive the case if you are to measure global development highly, i'm sorry. i'm sorry. i'm sorry to interrupt you. i do want to get back to you in a moment and ask you more about the, the issue of the sanctions and the jcp away. but 1st i, i want to go to eric because i saw him reacting to some of what you were saying. it looks like you wanted to jump in eric, but i also want to ask you the runs president visiting the continental. those trade ties with kenya, uganda ends in bob way from your vantage point. how different is this approach for a country that it has for years focused mostly on opportunities within the region? well, we actually do see some continuity here. we should know that president rice, he is visiting tenure among the other among the 3 countries that he is visiting on

his african tour. and even predating the revolution, kenya was the 2nd and has been the 2nd largest trade partner for, again, pre brought revolutionary ron and the islamic republic after south africa. and this relationship really is formulated in 10 years and exports primarily of c to iran in exchange for oil, carpets and chemicals. and so there, there's a lot of continuity here in terms of the trade relationship between the ron and kenya as well as even was involved when you gone to less with tree, they are much smaller trade partners. and can you, buddy ron, in the past has engaged in economic activities there? notably in both of those involved way in uganda, it's set up automobile and tractor factories to um, boost its production there, as well as a worked with you gone to on it's fisheries and other sectors of, of agriculture,

livestock, in industry. so there's actually a lot of continuity on the economic side to attend his visit in gala. you heard ali there talk about the fact that the ron's economy has for quite a while not been struggling under western sanctions. i want to ask you, what can africa offer iran at this stage? thank you. i mean i agree with you, but there's some continued t, but there, those are some, some new ones. there's a new context to be, to be, to be paid attention to. one is the last on a sense of, uh i, i solution means through facing you assumptions, but also seeking to repair relations, an applicant concepts such as egypt, model and tools at home. in the owner of africa, i'm seeking to play a lot general univision univision where uh, so go me to eastern countries have recently comfortably electro eat and development projects, but also in areas such as security and defense of cooperation in the discussion.

the we don't have today with the president, can you another which seems love center on the traditional areas of, of tre investments. i'm, you know, i t, unless spoken about what was the issue though, or of security which has also seen are this little girlfriend is me, middle eastern countries is kata are the u. e, much more recently coming to play a role in, in, in the classic a can be one of the short mind states in, in so many years of war against oxford bad. but it would have been, um, um, you know, very interesting if that particular issue was not discussed a doing today's meeting. i really, really suspect that this was also part of the position, even though it wasn't funny to ollie you were speaking before about the impact

that the western sanctions were having on iran. you were also talking about the fact that the former us president donald trump pulled out of the nuclear deal to the jcp away. and i wanna, i want to do been a little bit more on that and ask you more specifically about, you know, the fact that the ron has really stepped up diplomatic outreach in the past uh several months. um, how much of that does, does it speak to um, how big of a problem the sanctions have been and how much concern there was about the fact that the us pulled out at the nuclear deal. the sanctions has been around for a long time, but so did raise administration's top priority is to defeat the sanctions and and one way of that is improving relations with the non list and well here's to africa re presents a major. ringback strategic shift, iran foreign policy and this shift has been opposed by 2 cheek blue developments.

one was the us. we trolls from the j 60 way and the immunization of sanctions. the also is a shifting will power that has been a major shift and a global balance of power. the unipolar system has gone away and the united states can no longer take its policies on the entire planet any more. so this creates more room for developing space and more room to grieve and more options and lower personal raises to real africa is a major change because it wrong. at the same time has the doctor in new strategic direction to uh, to be a, to compliments the use of the african economy to improve business for the benefit of the 2 sides. and at the same time show to the international community the wrong

ahead of the alternatives. even if the sanctions on eric, you heard all the, they're talking about the fact that what present right you see is doing now is, is quite a major break with what the former administrations have done when it comes to foreign policy. and, and i want to ask you, you know, from your vantage point, how does what present a racy is doing now compare or contrast to what warmer president toss and ronnie did when it came to foreign policy? well, i would agree that it's a major contrast. um, i had published an article with a colleague at the university of tat ron, where we detailed president rule honie, as was said earlier, this engagement from africa and focus on particular leading up to the negotiations for the j. c. p. aware of the wrong nuclear deal in 2015 really focused on the west and on trying to alleviate sanctions through that process. and so there was a, this engagement and that really also culminated with this engagement on the african

side as well. where our gulf states name, we saudi arabia and united arm around. i remember it's one on a diplomatic offensive, offered military and economic assistance, particularly to the states and the horn of africa, which is a very strategic location on the red sea. during the many civil war and convinced these country countries to cut ties with the rob in 2016. so this is an important shift for the right you see administration for a rod in terms of trying to build back these relationships in the horn of africa and the wider confidence in gala. um, let me ask you, how much influence does to iran have on the continent at this particular moment? it was one of those in mississippi a, um, a few when it comes to this between a turnaround and an african companies, especially in can you know, where, where i am usually is that sort of the cultural sphere. um, um we all know that,

you know, so easy slammed his breakfast in africa is mostly of sony and he's not pick up mostly so new of the shockey tradition but a much more recent years, especially since the 1980s that has been an increase in the in so she a she, a, she, uh uh, this is, this, is this allow me a series of thoughts that have been sort of sponsored by charities, who's in charge. he's a 2nd coming from folks from, from, from, from his lum face. not quite a figure. i could put, but there has been a feasible increase in in she a most and my classes, for example, in kenya over the years. i'm one area where i'm one me, i do the run has not be playing a larger role in the recreation or availability of employment opportunities where many young africans, uh, you know,

came down to but also what does the father listen? africa have phone unfortunately is of luck in the states and cut up in the, in the, in the u. e. and the, so the area here but to the right seems to me miss. uh, you know, the name of we're on the same 6. you can use the same still to, to me in this, in this going uh, because i'm a relationship between, between africa and the middle east. and i think maybe this could also be one area of that cool. be the phone part of the discussions. are the tracy's going to have, with the number of ask and presidents that he's going to meet him, just listen to all the it looked to me like you were reacting to some of what and gala was saying there, did you want to jump in as well? um, uh, disagreement probably, i mean, uh, just call to what site you said on the, the race administration as long as new strategic direction is largely a. it's like to nomic and strategic cooperation. when we african

states, one iran isn't, is not meant republic. i'm now, i don't see why he owes you playing that much, be gro, was in this now the priority is economic, technological, and trades, cooperation without freaking the states is exporting just $1200000000.00 to africa, this d minus trace the depth of iran, neglecting this continent of opportunities around us foreign trade had been taken hostage by the chase a few a and the previous through the on administration entirely neglected to come freak on now on this news aging direction. you know, ron is reviving its policy of improving and boosting relations with africa and the 2 sites have a lot to offer you. a for k is

a good market for yvonne's knowledge base to companies. engineering services done building projects, transportation, fishing, and car production, exports, agricultural exports. so there is a lot a wrong can offer. and at the same time import paul toby's needs from africa that has had, had been neglected. and on the, the reading on the administration, on the raised the administration, iran is trying to rectify that. and at the same time defeats the sanctions. eric, i can see you want to add to what, some of what all the was saying there. but i just want to go back to in golf for a minute and got all the was responding to some of the points you made earlier. so i just wanted to see if you wanted to add to that. yes, i would done. i do agree with ali um, a lot of the, a lot of the focus has been on building diplomatic relationships and especially

around say, and also investment. so it's very the moment use language of this kind of a new research. it usually looks for partnerships. it doesn't make sense because, you know, bracy was elected a platform of fixing the economy. i came president william, brutal where he's got to be in by who's also elected on a single platform, but the workspace inspection of the courtesy. ok. yeah. has kind of size um has, has, has defeated, it comes with running a similar to, to the rate in tennessee. so it makes sense that both, both of them come around these, these the go make issues. but what i'm basically saying is that when the editor or open loops, and where is the may actually a long story for the issuance is these is, is, it is in, in this country. we'll see it. i think if you look at how the chinese, for example, uh,

50 relationships across the continental use that as they build their issues through economic partnerships. they also try and they, uh, you know, to, to catch your eye to space. the learning of the chinese language setting up of changing screens has also been part of that. the see anything that we run the much more influential impacts on the confidence as that they continue also emphasizing this more kind of soft cultural issues as well. erica, you've been waiting patiently to add your comments to what's being said right now is please go ahead. you know, i would certainly agree that economics and trade and commerce are certainly at the forefront of this initiative. and given that africa really only represents 2 to 3 percent of your bronze global trade, there's a lot of potential in that relationship. on the flip side, there's also the geo political component of this, where these countries can be

a non permanent members on the un security council. and, and of course, they sit in the un general assembly on the board of governors. and they can potentially influence votes for a wrong or not to mention the fact that both of zimbabwe and you've got to have uranium deposits. and so there's some value there in terms of a nuclear enrichment in terms of the cultural ideological realm. i would say that iran is going to be pushing on to levers, given that again this is a christian and sunni majority confidence. it will be really pushing on me the anti colonialism card, which it often does when it visits these countries to try to galvanize the leads and citizens during these visits. and then secondly, it will also seek to make inroads in, in the smaller communities of these countries. particularly in 10 years and you've gone to eric, i also want to ask you about particularly one of the countries that's come up a few times already this discussion and that's saudi arabia and the role that the

re, establishment of diplomatic ties that the ron has now had with saudi arabia is playing and all of this, the fact that the diplomatic ties between both countries were restored in march. is that one of the reasons why we're now seeing iran seeming to expand its economic and political reach beyond just the immediate region as well? i'm glad you brought that up because i was thinking of about that very point. not only is there a rock for a small beach or data, let's say between you ron and saudi arabia, but there's also a cease fire in the works in the admin, which was one of the reasons why the confident became. so g, a politically or strategically important in tens between the competition between instead of the ron and saudi arabia. so given these developments that may actually give african countries jewel political capital, now to re engage the wrong ends of feel that they don't necessarily have to choose sides between the ron and our goal states like saudi arabia and the you, a ali let, let me ask you a version of the same question, the fact the diplomatic ties have been re established between iran and saudi arabia

. how much is that playing into what's going now? how much has that allowed iran to be able to go beyond its traditional foreign policy goals? loss uh the racy uh, administration policy oh look to the east is primarily design to boost. it runs around the terrans capability against the west. and africa is playing in fulton road to to achieve that skin wrong needs to x on this international present. the presence, the best calais intentions with regional stays and pay the way for uh for back to relations with the non with symbol and, and that is happening right now. you know, the mediation by china, the iran improvement relations which breaks and,

and your mom's membership and the strong calling cooperation council, full speed of iran, this new strategic direction. and the race administrations has been passed ceiling the resistance. this course in it's a foreign policy that's means trying to defend it involves national interests and giving you know concessions in good time for concessions and not providing concessions without obtaining concessions. now at the same time, the, the raise, the administration has been saying for alone the world is not limited to due west. this is a reference to the previous red hot administration's policy. that is, foreign policy was largely in a confined to negotiations with numerous and the res administration wants to create

a balance in the around this relations with the outside world. and one way of doing that is to improve relations with ation. you ation latin american and african states, and this is what we are witnessing right now and go, i want to ask you more specifically about kenya when it comes to kenya is foreign policy. how is this visit being perceived by members of government by a member of the opposition and by the citizens? or what so can use what, what is the head start if you had a very strong economic impulse from the time that the none of my movements to post to, to the post 1990 was as well as i should be able to load on what has happened today . um um, what was, what was why they expected that little discussion center around. oh jeez. so try that investment. can you present as announced that there will be a model of

a car the they'll actually be manufactured in kenya for me wrong. locally reflect ruskie finals, and so a lot of the discussions, well, you know, centered around they can only trade relations investments and i'm information technology as well. um. but like i said, uh earlier is that, um, um kenya is a one of the 49 states. um, on the, on the ongoing we'll get somebody is actually about 9 and in the runs the other literally some countries of course, will come out to be a huge role in that email in addition to, to, to the, to the additional uh, west countries being not only in the region of well in that see it and in this case i'm up until they get better benefits and talking and differ from me. in my view, um. 3 i think that these are, may be thinking as well to, to, to,

to also play a role in, in, in, in, in the sort of, you know, secure to defense a partnership so. so in reality, such as can go, i'm sorry to interrupt you, but we are starting to run out of time. and i just want to ask one final question to eric eric. i saw you uh, shaking your head there are actually not in your head just on what 10 dollar was saying. and i just want to ask you very quickly, how about a minute and a half left. this attempt to by present right, easy to reset relations with african officials. does it look to you like it will be successful? well, i think it could be successful. and like i said earlier, i think one of the pathways could be this dialing down of golf. tensions within the continent in giving some breathing room to these countries to re engage the rod. and so i think there's some flexibility and as a potential to work with at the same time, i wouldn't necessarily be overly optimistic in terms of what africa could do for iran and vice versa. given the limitations that both sides have. and i think for

that reason, despite rise, the stated eastward policy, we're seeing the iranians um, you know, in a more subtle level, re engaging the united states and, and working out informal agreement to try to bring sanctions relief in exchange for their releases and nuclear limitation all right, well we have run out of time, so we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thanks so much to all of our guests and gala trauma of the part, the rainy and eric lo and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website. i'll just do a. com and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ag inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter. are handled as, as a j inside storage room. how much im jerome and the entire team here, bye for now the

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