In Python you can parse an .ini file and access the single values like this:
myini.ini
[STRINGS]
mystring = fooooo
valu
Not to fear, parsing an .ini file is a standard method. (See parse_ini_file in the php docs).
Using your file as the base of this example:
myini.ini
[STRINGS]
mystring = fooooo
value = foo_bar
test.php
$ini_array = parse_ini_file("myini.ini");
print_r($ini_array); # prints the entire parsed .ini file
print($ini_array['mystring']); #prints "fooooo"
Note that by default parse_ini_file ignores sections and gloms all ini settings into the same object. If you'd like to have things scoped sectionally as in your python example, pass true for the process_sections parameter (second parameter).
test2.php
$ini_array = parse_ini_file("myini.ini", true /* will scope sectionally */);
print($ini_array['mystring']); #prints nothing
print($ini_array['STRINGS']['mystring']); #prints fooooo