Tajikistan and Iran have held political negotiations aimed at exploring ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in different fields, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reports.   

Co-chaired by Tajik Deputy Foreign Minister Farrukh Sharifzoda and Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, the negotiations reportedly took place in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on May 8.  

The two sides discussed a range of issues including further expansion of economic, cultural and scientific cooperation.

Grab video / IRNA

Parliamentary cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran was discussed as well.  

The two reportedly also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues being of mutual interest.  

Both officials reportedly announced their respected governments’ willingness to develop bilateral ties, and emphasized the need for continued efforts to implement agreements already signed by the two sides.

Bagheri Kani also called for joint efforts by Tehran and Dushanbe to fight terrorism, saying that the US, the Israeli regime and some European countries are behind security threats in the region as they support extremist and terrorist groups.

The May 8th talks were the second round of regular political negotiations between Iran and Tajikistan.  Bagheri Kani and Sharifzoda agreed to hold further rounds of such negotiations with the aim of accelerating bilateral cooperation in different fields.

According to data of the Agency for Statistics under President of Tajikistan, the bilateral trade between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran over the first quarter of this year has valued at 77.444 million U.S. dollars, which is 20.5 percent more than in the same period last year.  This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Iran estimated at 29.229.4 U.S. dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Iran 48.214.8 million U.S. dollars.