Uzbekistan delegation led by Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov was hosted in Tehran by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday, the Iranian Presidency website reported.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani reportedly emphasised the urgent need to strengthen political and economic ties and compensate for the past shortcomings in the development of bilateral cooperation.
He said: “Activating all capacity and potentials for cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including economy, energy, transit, joint ventures, tourism and the boosting banking and monetary exchanges, would be a great step for a leap in the comprehensive development of the relations between Iran and Uzbekistan.”
He also underscored the importance of deepening cultural ties, saying: “In the field of culture and art, Iran and Uzbekistan have a common root, and as two Muslim countries, we can promote peaceful and enlightened Islam against violence and extremism”.
Dr Rouhani also commended the close consultations that are taking place between the two countries on regional issues and said: "Tehran attaches great weight to stability and security in neighbouring countries and in the region, especially in Afghanistan, and in this regard, the two countries can cooperate in order to establish stability and security in the region and in the fight against terrorism and extremism”.
The Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov offered congratulations on the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution and reportedly noted Iran's effective role in the developments of the region and the world, saying: “Uzbekistan is determined to undertake all efforts and potentials for cooperation to open a new chapter in relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
He reportedly described his country's stance towards Islam as completely in accord with the Islamic Republic of Iran and added: "We believe that we can prevent extremism through close cooperation in this field”.
Kamilov also referred to security and stability in countries of the region as interwoven with each other, saying: “In order to ensure lasting security and deal with worrying issues such as radicalism and drugs, we believe that strengthening the ties and cooperation between and among the countries of the region is essential”.
“In this regard, we are seeking to further strengthen our relations with Tehran” he added.
“Referring to the unique role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in consolidating regional stability,” he also presented a written message from the President of Uzbekistan to President Rouhani.
In this letter, Iran has been invited to attend the conference that will be held in the coming months at the foreign ministers level of 21 countries, as well as representatives of the United Nations and the European Union regarding Peace process in Afghanistan and security and regional cooperaation, which was welcomed by Dr Rouhani.
According to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, Abdulaziz Kamilov will also visit India and Pakistan to discuss cooperation issues, regional problems and preparations for the Tashkent conference on Afghanistan.
