Iranian President Hassan Rouhani received Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin on June 1.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, the two sides discussed state ad prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran.

They reportedly emphasized intentions of their countries to expand political, economic and cultural cooperation.    

In the course of the talks, Sirojiddin Muhirddin and Hassan Rouhani also discussed a number of international and regional issues being of mutual interest, said the Tajik MFA information department.

According to data from the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, the two-way trade between Tajikistan and Iran has decreased three times over the past five years – from 205 million U.S. dollars in 2013 to 97 million U.S. dollars in 2018.   

Meanwhile, Iranian media reports say that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani noted during a meeting with Sirojiddin Muhriddin that the development of the southern strategic port city of Chabahar will play a very important role in the transit of goods in the region, adding that Iran can be “the safest and best” route for goods imported to and exported from Tajikistan. 

Rouhani said the two countries enjoy many commonalities in several sectors and called for further expansion of relations in different areas to serve the two nations' interests, according to Press TV.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always called for stability, total security, prosperity and progress of Tajikistan as well as the promotion of bilateral relations and cooperation,” the Iranian president added.

He reportedly expressed Iran's readiness to provide Tajikistan with technical and engineering services and to play a more active role in implementing projects in the country by sharing its experiences with Dushanbe.

Rouhani further said the region is currently faced with a particular situation, including threats of terrorism and foreign intervention.

“Now that terrorists have left Iraq and Syria, there are concerns that they may seek to become active in Central Asia and the Caucasus region. Therefore, Iran and Tajikistan can further increase their cooperation in the fight against terrorism,” the Iranian chief executive pointed out.

For his part, Sirojiddin Muhriddin said “developing of relations between Tehran and Dushanbe is very important for us,” according to Mehr News Agency (MNA).

He stressed the importance of expanding his country's trade and economic cooperation with Iran and said Tajikistan wishes to use the benefits of Chabahar Port and experiences of Iranian companies and experts in the fields of technical and engineering services, energy and infrastructure.

MNA says Muhriddin went on to refer to the Tajik President’s official invitation to Rouhani, and expressed hope that Iran can attend Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Dushanbe.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin arrived in Tehran on Friday evening.