TEHRAN -- President Ebrahim Raeisi says Iran welcomes expansion of all-out relations with Central Asian countries, particularly Uzbekistan.
Raisi met Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov here Sunday, stating that the two countries have great capacities to improve bilateral relations in various economic sectors, including agriculture, industry, transportation, energy, and tourism.
“The political will of the two countries is to deepen relations, and we are determined to take major steps towards the prosperity and development of the two countries by activating all capacities,” the president said.
Raeisi also stressed the importance of enhancing cultural relations between Tehran and Tashkent given their deep-rooted historical and cultural commonalities, saying it would serve as a solid ground for expansion of bilateral cooperation in other areas.
Umurzakov, for his part, said his country set a roadmap to boost relations with Iran immediately after a meeting between the Iranian president and his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, in September.
He said he is heading a high-ranking economic delegation in his Tehran visit to discuss ways to finalize the roadmap.
The Uzbek deputy prime minister noted that the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries has increased 2.5 times compared to last year.
He said Tashkent is firmly determined to strengthen its relations with Tehran in various fields, including trade and economy, investment, transportation, and transit, in addition to boosting the bilateral cultural ties.