ASTANA (TCA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran can be the shortest route for Uzbekistan’s exporters to access the Persian Gulf and international waters, Iran’s PressTV news agency reports. Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the first Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on science and technology in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, on September 10.
Rouhani said the exchange of visits between senior Iranian and Uzbek officials revealed the two countries’ resolve to establish closer and broader relations.
The Iranian president welcomed further expansion of Tehran-Tashkent cooperation in all fields, particularly in trade and economic sectors, emphasizing that no obstacle could hinder the development of the two countries’ ties.
Rouhani stressed the importance of making joint investments and said that improving banking cooperation was the cornerstone for the promotion of economic and trade exchanges between Iran and Uzbekistan.
Mirziyoyev, for his part, said that Uzbekistan attached special significance to a transport corridor connecting his country to the Persian Gulf and other parts of the world, adding that common interests of Tehran and Tashkent could be served through cooperation in this area as Iran could also export its products to Central Asian states through Uzbekistan.
The Uzbek president also stated that his country supported Iran’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and invited his Iranian counterpart to pay an official visit to Tashkent.
