Mottaki: Iran-Tajikistan ties are very strong

Tehran, Nov 29, IRNA – Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Monday that existing ties between Iran and Tajikistan are very strong and that it is necessary to bolster mutual relations.

According to the Information and Press Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with Tajik Parliament Speaker Shakour Jan Zohorov.

Referring to the friendly relations between the two nations, Mottaki said “We believe that security and stability of Tajikistan are interrelated with Iran’s security and stability.”

Grounds for expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries are well-prepared, Mottaki said, adding that they can now cooperate in production of tractors, pharmaceutical drugs, cultivation of various crops, construction of highways, implementation of infrastructure projects, transmission of water and construction of roads and railtracks.

The two sides have enough potential to take giant leaps in the field of transportation in the region, Mottaki said.

The Tajik parliament speaker, for his part, said Tajikistan regards Iran as its strategic friend.

Sharing common language, religious and cultural ties have prepared grounds for upholding ties between the two nations, he said.

Tajikistan fully backs Iran in international fora and organizations, he underlined.

“We have witnessed remarkable progress in both sides' relations in recent years and signing of about 70 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) is a good proof of such a claim,” he said.

The Tajik parliament speaker also called for expansion of parliamentary ties and economic cooperation in such fields as construction of tunnels, roads, railroads, water transmission, electricity and gas./end