Outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Hojjatollah Faghani at the end of last week conferred here with Tajik Minister of Culture Shamsiddin Orumbekzoda at the end of his tenure to the Republic of Tajikistan.
According to the press center of the Ministry of Culture (MoC), the two discussed issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran in the field of culture.
Ambassador Faghani noted that he will continue taking efforts to promote further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan in all fields on return to Tehran as well, the MoC press center said.
Hojjatollah Faghani had served as Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of Iran to Tajikistan since 2014.
Meanwhile, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Taghi Saberi, who had previously served as deputy head of the Finance Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, has been appointed Iran’s Ambassador to Tajikistan.
Citing the news service of Iranian Parliament ICANA, Iran’s Mehr news agency (MNA) reported on March 10 that Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has stressed necessity of expanding ties with Tajikistan in all fields, especially in economic areas. He reportedly made the remarks at a meeting with newly appointed Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammad Taghi Saberi, during which he also said “Tajikistan is a friend and neighboring country for Iran, with a lot of cultural similarities, including a common language between the two countries.”
Stating that Iran and Tajikistan have had good relations throughout history, Larijani said that the two countries need to get over misunderstandings to further expand relations.
The top Iranian legislator further stressed the necessity of expanding ties with Tajikistan in all fields, especially in economic areas.
The new Iranian ambassador to Tajikistan, for his part, reportedly described Tajikistan as a strategic country for expanding fully-fledged cooperation with Iran, promising that he will use all the potentials to develop bilateral relations in all areas.
Recall, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin told reporters in Dushanbe on February 12 that Tajikistan is taking efforts to improve its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. “Iran was the first country to recognize Tajikistan’s independence in 1991 and opened its embassy in Dushanbe in 1992. No one can deny historical and cultural commonality between our countries,” the minister said.
According to him, Tajikistan and Iran have problems only on political issues. “But this problem is not so serious,” Muhriddin said.
He further noted that Iranian companies have been participating in construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in Tajikistan.
“Tajikistan and Iran have many joint projects, including Sangtuda-2 HPP, Istiqlol Tunnel and others,” the minister said.
