Tahir Umar, the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Islamic Affairs, says Nigeria will sustain its existing ties with the Republic of Iran, Egypt and Algeria.
Umar, who made the promise on Thursday when he paid separate visits to the embassies of the three countries in Abuja, said that he undertook the visits on the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said that there was no better time than now to convey the president’s message to three countries’ representatives in Nigeria.
Umar described Nigeria’s relations with the three countries as cordial and promised that the ties would be sustained.
He described Iran as very strategic in the area of Islamic affairs and education, and said that it was always ready to defend the interests of Islam in the world.
The Senior Special Assistant also described President Jonathan as a peace loving person “who is ever ready to do anything within his powers to promote peace in the country’’.
“This is the more reason why he created the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Islamic Affairs with a view to advising him on such issues,” he said
Umar reminded the representatives of the three countries that religion was a portent weapon to reduce most social problems and urged them to assist when and where necessary.
Responding, the Iran ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Saeed Koozechi, expressed confidence in his country’s relations with Nigeria, and promised to continue to strengthen such relations to the benefit of the two countries.
Koozechi promised that his country would assist Nigeria in tackling the security challenges facing it and also in the area of education among others.
His Egyptian counterpart, Mr Ashraf Salama, said that his country would continue to maintain the cordial relations between his country and Nigeria.
Speaking in similar vein, Mr Smalili Belkalcem, the Algerian Ambassador, noted that his country had been enjoying cordial relations with Nigeria over the years, and expressed the hope that this would continue.
The three ambassadors promised to assist Nigeria in the area of security.
