Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has highlighted the unparalleled historical, cultural, and scientific ties between Iran and Uzbekistan, stating that these common grounds should be utilized to cement bilateral relations in various fields, IRNA said.
In a meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his accompanying delegation on Sunday, the Iranian Supreme Leader welcomed the revitalization of relations between the two countries after a long break.
“Unfortunately, Iran-Uzbekistan relations have been very limited for many years, and we hope that this visit and the discussions held in Tehran will mark the beginning of a better future in relations between the two nations,” he noted.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that Iran has the capability to connect landlocked Uzbekistan to international waters through Turkmenistan and Afghanistan in order to promote trade and transportation.
“The grounds for cooperation, however, can extend beyond trade and transportation” he said, adding, “We can have further collaboration through various initiatives in the fields of science, technology, and other sectors,”
The Supreme Leader emphasized that although the expansion of Iran-Uzbekistan relations have “some opponents”, decisions should be made based on the interests of both countries, without paying attention to such objections.
President Mirziyoyev, for his part, described his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei as “historic,” and said, "We were also disappointed by the break in bilateral relations and the reduction in cooperation between the two countries.”
“We hope that with the discussions held in Tehran, we can take significant steps and elevate cooperation in trade, transportation, science and technology, and tourism to its deserving level,” he added.
Reportedly, Mirziyoyev also praised the resilience of the Iranian people in the face of US sanctions.
“The achievements of the Iranian people, especially in the field of science and technology … demonstrate that a nation under the wise guidance of its leader and with unity can achieve great goals despite all pressures,” he said.
Mirziyoyev arrived in Tehran earlier in the day and was welcomed by President Ebrahim Raisi. He is the first Uzbek president to visit Iran in more than 20 years.
The two presidents held a private meeting before presiding over the signing ceremony of a series of cooperation documents between Iranian and Uzbek officials.
