Iran's newly-elected President Ebrahim Raisi yesterday received Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), who arrived in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president hat will take place today afternoon.

“At the beginning of the conversation, Zokirzoda conveyed to the President of Iran the warm greetings of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon,” Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, told Asia-Plus in an interview. 

According to him, Zokirzoda expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries in all spheres will expand  and emphasized that expansion of cooperation with Tehran is one of priorities of Dushanbe’s foreign policy.  

“Zokirzoda assured President Raisi that the Parliament of Tajikistan will take all possible measures to facilitate further expansion of cooperation with Iran,” Sultonov said.  

Meanwhile Business Standard reports that during a meeting with Zokirzoda Raisi called for the development of ties between Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan as three Persian-speaking countries.

"The insecurity in Afghanistan today, which is rooted in foreign interference in the country, is not in anyone's interest. Iran and Tajikistan should have closer bilateral and international cooperation with each other to eliminate this common concern," Raisi noted.

For his part, Zokirzoda greeted Raisi on his election, and praised the potential for the development of Iran-Tajikistan ties, which he described as based on "common language, culture, history and civilization."