On October 22, 2009, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao met with the Iranian delegation to the fourth round of China-Iran bilateral consultations on consular affairs headed by Mirfakhar, Director-General of the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. Director General Wei Wei of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Counselor Fu Weina of the Chinese Embassy in Iran and charge d' affaires ad interim S. Badamchi Shabestari of the Iranian Embassy in China were present at the meeting. Song said China attaches great importance to ties with Iran. Currently, the leaders of the two countries have kept frequent contacts and both sides have continuously enhanced coordination in international and regional affairs and expanded cooperation in relevant areas. Premier Wen Jiabao last week met with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, who was in China for the eighth prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, reaching consensus on many issues. Song believed that the fourth round of bilateral consular consultations to be held today in Beijing will help build mutual understanding and trust between both sides and resolve issues on safeguarding legitimate rights and interests of their own citizens and legal persons and facilitating personnel exchange. He hoped that this round of consultations will yield positive outcome and further deepen China-Iran consular relations. Echoing Song's comments on bilateral ties, Mirfakhar expressed willingness to work together with his Chinese counterparts to enhance consular exchange and cooperation, and provide facilitation for economic, trade and personnel exchange to push forward bilateral ties.