she lands an unlikely role in a speech of them. but how long can have be just sweet? read them last. when crisis strikes, this is the witness my a tiger tail on which is 0. 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 offers? 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 ends in bump way. it's a different approach for a country that for years has focused 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 of play? we have to, i guess in a moment the 1st this report from katya lopez for the young one welcome for rance presidents in kansas capital. it's a rare tour for abraham rising, marking the 1st visit to africa by intervening 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. sacha was that none of us are satisfied with the current volume of trade and the ongoing,

and you can all make exchange between iran and kenya. their van exported more than a $1000000000.00 worth of goods donations in africa last year from petrochemical products to food and medicine. now, its aiming for more rand stepped up its diplomatic approach. after that, you want us to re impose sanctions in 2018. when a former president, donald trump touched a nuclear pact, now iran's 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. pricey 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 rises visit will help lead to new prospects both political and economic katia lopez again for insights. story the. all right, 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. and to 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 we let me start with you today to iran 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? right. you see expecting and, and what is he hoping to achieve with this trip? the prisoner raises visits to africa is in line with his administration's absence to creates new alliances with the normal western world in the current era of transition and international relations from the unit polar well to a multi folder system. it is also in line with his looks to the east policy on expanding condone making political relations with the northwest and wallet. iran is a new king, foreclosed some 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 and world. this can help you know, wrong, get out of isolation and defeat the sanctions. in this context, the, the race administration looks at africa as a consequence of a put you want to use that has been largely ignored by the previous romani administration. the previous ro, honda administration's 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 a. so there runs problems through negotiations with device. but the j to be way proved to be they, these us, the sanctions are not lifted. do you not get the united states? but the res administration has adopted the new strategy of, of trying to support and notify the sanctions. why keeping the,

the power of diplomacy open in case there is a way to define the case if you are to measure global developments. holly, 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 ron's president, visiting the continent to boost trade ties with kenya, uganda ends and 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 as long as republic after south africa. and this relationship really is formulated in 10 years and exports primarily of t 2 is wrong 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 a less with tree, they are much smaller trade partners. and can you, buddy ron, in the past has engaged in economic activities. they're notably in both of is involved way and you've gone to, it's uh, set up automobile and tractor factories to um, boost its production there as well as a worked with you've 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 this visit in gala. you heard all the

there and 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 going to unity. 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 a i, i solution you can still facing you assumptions, but also seeking to repair relationship applicant concepts such as egypt model and close at home. in the owner of africa, i'm seeking to play a larger role. univision, univision, where the gulf let me do eastern countries have recently become to be electro eat and development projects, but also in areas such as security and defense cooperation in the discussion. the president, the, we don't have to day with the president. can you another which seems love center on

the traditional areas over all tre investments. i'm, you know, i t, unless spoken about was the issue. all of security, which has also seen are the sort of got front is me, middle eastern countries, as kata are the u. e, much more recently coming to play a role in, in, in, in the bicycle can be one of the short wednesdays in, in so many years of war against oxford bad. and it would have been, um, um, you know, very interesting if that particular issue was not discussed a doing today's meeting. i really didn't really suspect that this was also part of the position, even though it wasn't funny to all of 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 wanna 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 of 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 he's to africa re presents a major. ringback strategic shift, iran foreign policy and this shift has been caused by 2 cheap uh global developments. one was the us suite trolls from the j 60 way and the immunization of sanctions. the old, there is a shifting will power that has been

a major shift in the global balance of power. the unipolar system has gone away, and the united states can no longer these types of policies on the entire planet anymore. so this creates more room for developing space and more ways to grieve and more options and lower personal raises to real africa is a major change because it wrong. at the same time has adopted in new strategic direction to uh, to be uh, 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 that iran has all 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 a 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 the colleague at the university of to ron, where we detailed president real 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 this engagement and not really also culminated with this engagement on the african side as well, where our gulf states name, we saudi arabia and united armor. 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 cuts 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, a nice area um a few when it comes to this between a turn around and an off can come specially and can you know where, where i am usually is that sort of the cultural sphere. um we all know that you know, so easy slammed that as practiced in, in africa is mostly a suny and new stuff. he got mostly so new shockey tradition but

a much more recent years, especially since the 1980s. that has been an increase in the, in sort of, she, a, she, a, she, uh, uh, this is this is this allow me a schools of thoughts that have been sort of small side by charities of losing charities as back. i'm coming from folks from, from, from, from islam space, not quite a figure i could put, but there has been a visual increase in, in, in, in she uh most. and my glasses, for example, in kenya over the years. i'm one area where i'm one me, i do you run has not be playing a larger role in the the creation or availability of employment opportunities where many young africans, uh, you know, came down to a bottles. what does the for the most i figure how phone opportunities of luck in the states and cut up in the, in the, in the any. so the area but to the right seems to me miss. uh, you know,

the name of the ronald seemed 6. it is the same step to, to meet in this, in this going uh, be comic relationship between, between africa and the middle east. and i think maybe this could also be one area of that could be the phone. but the discussions are the tracy's going to have with a number of african presidents that he's going to meeting this 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 size you said on the, the res administration, as long as new strategic direction is lori, please. it's it can nomic and strategic cooperation when we african states one iran isn't, it's not meant republic. i'm now i don't see why he owes you playing that much. be

role in this now. the priority is that can all make taking a logical and trait cooperation without freaking the states is exporting just $1200000000.00 to africa. this, the amount of strays, the depth of you're wrong neglect taking this continent of opportunities around this foreign trade had been taken hostage by the chase of the way and the previous through the whole administration entirely neglected to africa . now on this new strategic direction, ron is reviving its policy of improving and boosting relations with africa. and the 2 sites have a lot to offer. for k is a good market for yvonne's knowledge base to companies. engineering services

done building projects, transportation, fishing and car production, exports and the cultural 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 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. so what don't, i do agree with a lot of the other the focus has been on building diplomatic relationships and especially around tray and also investment. so it's very phenomenal because language of this kind of a new research that you look for partnerships. it doesn't make sense

because, you know, racy, was elect to the bathroom or fixing the economy. i came president william boots or where he's got to be in the who's also elected on a single platform, but the workspace translation of the courtesy. ok. yeah. has kind of size um has, has, has defeated, it comes with running a similar to, to the read in tennessee. so it makes sense that both, both of them come around the speech, the comic issues. but what i'm basically saying is that when the editor often overlooks and where is the may actually a long story equal issuance is these is, is, it is in, in this country will 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 of changing screams has also been part of the see anything that we run the much more influential impacts on the confidence of the continuously 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 the 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 the wrong. um,

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 nuclear enrichment in terms of the cultural ideological role. and i would say that iran is going to be pushing on to levers, given that again, this is a christian and sunni majority, confident 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 points. not only is there rough for a small beat, your dates on, let's say between you ron and saudi arabia. but there's also a ceasefire in the works in the admin, which was one of the reasons why the confident became associate 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. and so feel that they don't necessarily have to choose sides between the ron and our gulf states like saudi arabia and the u. 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? a lot of the re c uh, administration policy oh, look to the east is primarily design to uh inc. boost. it runs around the terrorist 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 collect intentions with regional stays and pay the way for a full back to the relations. we've been done with some who and, and that is happening right now. you know, the mediation by china, the iran improvement relations, which breaks amish and your mom's membership and the strong calling cooperation council, full speed of it, runs 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 no 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 the west. this is a reference to the previous red hot administration's policy. that is, foreign policy was largely, uh, you know, confined to negotiations with device and the race administration wants to create a balance in the, around this relations with the outside world. and why don't they are doing that is to improve relations with ation, human lation, latin american,

an 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's foreign policy. how is this visit being perceived by members of government by a member of the opposition and by the citizens as well? so can use what, what is the head start? if you had a very strong economic impulse from the time that the number line movement to post to, to the post 1990 was as well as accidental. i know what has happened today and i was was, was why they expected that little discussion center around. oh jeez, for trade and 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 look into the fight ruskie finals. and so a lot of the discussions, well, you know,

centered around they couldn't only trade relations investments and i'm information technology as well. um. but like i said, uh idea is that, um um kenya is a one of the 4 mainstays um on the, on the ongoing. well, i guess somebody is asked about 9 and the runs the other literally some countries i've also come up to pay a huge role in that, you know, in addition to, to, to the, to this additional uh, west. some countries being not only in the region of well in that sphere and it just gave some of the benefits and talking and, and, and, and therefore for me, in my view, um. 3 i think that these are may be seeking 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, 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 as 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 a formal agreement to try to bring sanctions relief in exchange for releases and nuclear limitation. all right, well we have run out of time, so we're going to have to leave the conversation. no, thanks so much to all of our guests and gala trauma, all the part, the rainy and eric low. and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website. i'll just you or dot 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. handle is as a great insight story from how much im jerome and the entire team here. bye for now, [000:00:00;00] the

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