In the meeting that took place on Monday, Aref appreciated the sympathetic stance of the Tajik government and people toward Iran during the Ramadan war.

He emphasized utilizing historical, cultural, and linguistic commonalities to boost relations between the two countries.

Referring to the deep civilizational ties between Iran and Tajikistan, Aref said the formation of a joint supreme committee for the Persian language, literature, culture, and civilization can help preserve and protect the shared heritage of the two countries.

Despite all obstacles, including the imposed war against Iran, in recent months we have witnessed a 50% increase in the volume of bilateral trade compared to the same period last year, Aref stated.

He called for using the existing opportunities to develop economic relations and to develop scientific, technological, cultural, and tourism cooperation.

Expressing Iran’s readiness to cooperate with Tajikistan in oil and gas exploration, petrochemical industries, and exporting oil and gas products, he said that Iran is interested in expanding trilateral cooperation with Tajikistan and Afghanistan and that there are suitable capacities for developing cooperation.

Highlighting the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he said its capacity must be used to expand cooperation in the areas of trade, transit, energy, and infrastructure connectivity.

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