In the beginning, Shaverdian referred to the visit of the Iranian parliamentary delegation to Sierra Leone as a way to support and foster government relations, “Parliaments are solid foundations for facilitating relations and accelerating government cooperation. The Iranian Parliament supports all sorts of existing and future agreements between the two governments. We also witnessed the same determination to support the strengthening of bilateral relations in our meeting with the Sierra Leonean MPs.” He pointed to direct talks and reciprocal visits between officials of the two countries as important in expanding friendly relations between the two sides, “We hope that with the positive will of the Sierra Leonean government, we will witness more visits and talks between officials of the two countries.” The head of the Iran-Sierra Leone Parliamentary Friendship Group further elucidated, “Iran has great potential in the fields of technology and engineering, knowledge-based companies, agriculture, science, technology and industry. Many Iranian companies are also willing to operate in Sierra Leone. We hope that the government will render the necessary support for these companies to enter and operate in Sierra Leone.” He continued, pointing out that there are currently cooperation between the two countries in the fields of education, healthcare, “The Iranian Red Crescent Health Centre is active in Freetown and the Bu Ali Sina Nursing School is also operating in Sierra Leone. We intend to expand cooperation with private sector investment and we need the government's support to achieve this.” In conclusion, he also referred to the political cooperation between the two countries saying, “Both countries are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement. We have good cooperation in international forums and welcome the development of this synergy. We hope to have better cooperation and support for each other in all international organizations in the future.” The head of the Iran-Sierra Leone Parliamentary Friendship Group also opined on the UN Security Council, “We thank Sierra Leone for its efforts as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in supporting the rights of the oppressed people of Gaza and condemning the crimes of the Zionist regime. We believe that this support will greatly contribute to establishing peace and stability in the region.” Sierra Leonean Vice President H.E. Mohamed Juldeh Jaloh welcomed the Iranian delegation and on the Palestinian issue stated that “We have provided the necessary support to the Palestinian people since the beginning of our membership in the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member. Our support for the cause of the Palestinian people is long-standing and traditional. In addition to emphasizing the need to end the hostilities as soon as possible, we also supported the opening of a corridor for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip. He continued: "I agree with the Iranian parliamentary delegation that we should strengthen relations between Sierra Leone and Iran in areas of mutual interest. On the side of the government, we will not hesitate to provide any support. I am glad that you have taken the initiative in the field of education and healthcare. I hope that we can also cooperate more in the field of training specialized doctors." Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh continued: "23 percent of Sierra Leone's imports are allocated to the food and food security sector, while the average in Africa is 15 percent. To reduce imports, we need to increase production, so we welcome the entry of Iranian companies and cooperation in the fields of agriculture and industry with the Iranian private sector." He concluded: "There is also great potential for cooperation in the fields of mines and energy. Iranian companies can successfully invest in our mines, including iron ore. We are happy that the Iranian parliamentary delegation has taken the initiative and the first steps towards deepening relations." It is worth noting that Hon. Faramarz Shahsavari, Vice Chairman of the Iran-Sierra Leone Parliamentary Friendship Group, and Hon. Hadi Ghavami, a member of this friendship group, were also present at this meeting, and they separately discussed ways to strengthen relations in various areas of interest to both parties.