Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad started his visit to the African countries, Benin, Ghana, and Niger, with an aim to exchange oil for gold and uranium.
Before leaving Tehran, Ahmadinejad said that relations and cooperation with African states set a priority for Iran, contributing to stronger political and cultural partnering. The president highlighted that close ties would assist in consolidation of Non-Aligned Movement.
However, some other purposes can be found behind Ahmadinejad’s visit. For example, Benin opens the way for Tehran to truck raw materials from the landlocked Niger. Niger, in its turn, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of uranium.
Ghana can provide Iran with gold. Since the UN imposed sanctions on the central bank’s activities connected with the country’s nuclear programme, Teheran was deprived from its oil clients. Money transfers via Iran’s banks are unavailable, for this reason the country has to seek for another ways to get income from oil. The Islamic Republic is now purchasing gold actively. Meanwhile, Ghana is among the top ten gold producers in the world.
“All three countries that Mahmud Ahmadinejad is planning to visit are depending on oil supply,” - Nina Mamedova notes, the economist of Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “It is possible that the talks will be focused on Iran’s export as the country, being under sanctions over its nuclear programme, is interested in widening the geography of its exports. The African market (apart from the RSA) is not saturated with Iranian oil and is ready to consume it in greater amount.”