Nouri: Africa is a strategic partner beyond Iran's export market Minister of Agricultural Jihad at the national meeting of Iran-Africa agricultural cooperation: Our main message in the development of relations with Africa is to move from memorandums of understanding to executive contracts and to transform cross-sectional exchanges into sustainable partnerships in production and technology. Iran's view of Africa is a strategic partner in joint investment and production, not just a market for selling goods. Food security, beyond increasing production, requires stable access to healthy food and requires strengthening all the interconnected links of the agricultural chain, from the supply of inputs and technical knowledge to processing and trading.