Iran Calls for Road Map to Cooperation with Uzbekistan
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stressed the need to formulate a road map to the promotion of relations with Uzbekistan and implementation of the agreements between the two Asian states.
The relations between Iran and Uzbekistan are historical and civilizational, Raisi said at a meeting of the high-ranking delegations of the two countries, held in Tehran on Sunday during his Uzbek counterpart’s official visit to Iran.
Referring to the capacities for the development of cooperation between the two countries, President Raisi described the Uzbek leader’s visit as an important step in deepening bilateral relations.
He also praised the goal of doubling trade exchanges in the first step and planning to increase its volume to $3 billion, hailing the agreements between the two countries for preferential trade, his official website reported.
Emphasizing the need to prepare a road map to closer cooperation and implementation of the understandings between Iran and Uzbekistan, Raisi said Iran's successful presence at the international industrial exhibition in Tashkent was a sign of Iran's serious determination to develop economic and trade relations with the Central Asian country.
Raisi also emphasized the need to follow up the agreements made between the two countries in the fields of economy and trade, transportation and transit, science and technology, agriculture, and the medical and pharmaceutical equipment.
Iran has turned threats and sanctions into opportunities for progress, Raisi noted, expressing Iran's readiness to share experiences in various scientific and economic fields with Uzbekistan.
Iran does not see any obstacles in the path of developing relations with neighboring countries and believes that the development of relations with Uzbekistan will benefit the two nations and make the two countries stronger, he stated.
For his part, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the long 20-year gap to visit Iran was caused by the lack of attention and neglect by previous officials to use the capacities of the two countries.
He also highlighted Uzbekistan’s interest in development of relations with Iran in science, technology, transportation, energy infrastructure, medicine and agriculture.
