Iranian President Mohammad Khatami left Tehran for Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, Tuesday morning on the first leg of his seven-nation African tour.
Khatami, heading a high-level political and economic delegation,
was seen off at Mehrabad International Airport here by Head of the
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Office Gholam Hossein
Mohammadi Golpayegani and First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, according to IRNA news agency.
This marks the first visit by President Khatami to any of the seven African states of Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leon, Benin, Zimbabwe and Uganda during his presidential tenure which is taking place at the official invitation of his African counterparts.
In the course of his seven-nation African tour, Khatami is scheduled to
discuss bilateral cooperation in political, technical, engineering, economic, cultural and health fields as well as key regional and international developments.
Khatami is to meet with senior officials of these countries and is expected to deliver a speech at the Senegal University. He is also to hold
meetings with Muslim and Christian religious leaders.
