DUSHANBE, January 17, Asia-Plus – After official welcome Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hosted to him in Tehran on January 17, Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov talking to reporters assessed bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran as "excellent," and praised their increasing economic, cultural and political relations in recent years.

Rahmonov noted that politicians and governments of Iran and Tajikistan always had the desire to promote relations, and hoped the two sides would use this opportunity to clinch more agreements. 

" Iran and Tajikistan are one spirit in two bodies," Iranian President Ahmadinejad remarked at a joint press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.  He noted that broad and deep grounds have been established for bilateral relations and there are no limits to expansion of relations.  He pointed to the good level of bilateral ties between the two countries and added, "There have been several measures taken to expand relations but there are still many unachieved potentials." He called on the two countries to move forward by using to the fullest all their outstanding potentials in the economic, cultural, political and infrastructural fields.” Ahmadinejad said Iran and Tajikistan enjoy many political commonalties, and recalled his talks with the Tajik president during the summit of Organization of the Islamic Conference member states in Mecca , Saudi Arabia , during which they both acknowledged their close stances on many issues.

Asked about the prospects of Tehran-Dushanbe ties, he expressed hope mutual ties would reach higher levels in all fields in view of their close cooperation.  "I am confident the two countries will reach a higher level of mutual relations. We can obtain our goals by adopting more measures and removing obstacles in the way of expansion of ties," Ahmadinejad said.

The two leaders, after holding a joint press conference, immediately began their first round of talks.