Senior Communist Party of China ( CPC) official Li Changchun visited Iran from Tuesday to Wednesday, met with Iranian leaders and stressed bilateral cooperation.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes to Iranian people in a written speech issued upon his arrival at the airport early Tuesday morning.

Iran is an ancient civilized country with a long history which has created the splendid Persian civilization and made important contribution to the development and progress of human civilization, he said.

Exchanges between China and Iran began more than 2,000 years ago, and the ancient Silk Road witnessed the continuation and development of the friendship between the two countries, Li added.

"China values the traditional friendship between the two sides, and during my stay here I will meet and hold talks with Iranian leaders, exchange our ideas on boosting the bilateral relations, discuss new ways to promote political mutual trust and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in political, economic and cultural aspects to gain new achievements," he said at the airport.

Li met here Tuesday morning with the Iranian president and vice president to discuss bilateral relations.

When meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he thanked the Iranian leader for offering condolences to China when the country was hit by severe natural disasters, including the earthquake in Yushu, Qinghai province, and the mudslides in Zhouqu, Gansu province, and his attendance at the Shanghai Expo to celebrate Iran's National Pavilion Day.

With joint efforts by the two countries in recent years, bilateral relations have maintained a good momentum, political mutual trust has been enhanced and bilateral trade cooperation has been widened, exchanges in culture, education and tourism have been expanded, and traditional friendship between the two peoples has been deepened.

The two countries are faced with challenges as well as development opportunities regarding regional and world stability, tackling the impacts of the international financial crisis and boosting economic development, he noted.