As many as 13 documents on different cooperation areas were signed between Iran and Tajikistan on Wednesday, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported yesterday evening.
The documents were reportedly signed as part of an Iran-Tajikistan Business Forum in Dushanbe where Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Reza Salehi Amiri headed an Iranian Addressing the forum, Salehi Amiri noted that the number of Tajik people visiting Iran hits 8,000 annually and an annual 8,500 Iranian people also visit Tajikistan.
He added that the two countries have agreed to increase bilateral visits to 100,000 per annum.
The minister underscored the role of tourism cooperation in giving a boost to bilateral trade between Tehran and Dushanbe, adding that expansion of tourism would lead to more increased trade and creating more jobs.
Samad Hassanzadeh, the president of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA), reportedly also addressed the forum, noting that Tehran and Dushanbe can have more expanded cooperation in the areas of techno-engineering, petrochemicals, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and health tourism.
He urged the need for Iran and Tajikistan to introduce their tourism attractions, referring to waivering of visa requirements for Tajik citizens by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian which enables Tajik people to travel to Iran from every point of the country.
Hassanzadeh reaffirmed the commitment of Iran’s ICCIMA to render proper services to Tajik businesspeople so as to pave the way for increased trade between the two nations.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Dushanbe yesterday evening for the first leg of his official visit to Tajikistan and Russia.
Iranian media reports say President Pezeshkian, who had traveled to Tajikistan at the official invitation of President Emomali Rahmon, was welcomed by his Tajik counterpart upon his arrival at Dushanbe Airport.
IRNA says several key cabinet ministers and officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad, Finance Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati, and Mohammad Reza Farzin, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, are accompanying the president on the trip.
In a statement at Mehrabad Airport before his departure, President Pezeshkian emphasized that enhancing relations with neighboring countries is a priority for his administration, as outlined by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to IRNA. .
“We will pursue this goal vigorously,” he stated.
Iranian president is expected to sign new agreements in Tajikistan to expand cooperation in various sectors, including agriculture, science, industry, trade, transportation, and mining.
