TEHRAN The visiting Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh termed Tehran-Hanoi ties friendly and called for further expansion of bilateral relations in all fields. The official made the remark in a meeting with Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi here Monday. Underlining Iran's ancient civilization and strategic position in the region, the Vietnamese parliamentarian said his country attaches special importance to ties with Iran. He expressed satisfaction over ``strong'' Tehran-Hanoi cooperation in political field at international fora, hoping that further cooperation will be experienced in other fields, including in economic areas.

Pointing to the existing common bonds between the two countries, Kharrazi voiced Iran's readiness for promotion of relations with Vietnam, especially in the economic sector. He said that common characteristics such as seeking peace and independence, and struggle for freedom have paved the way for the two countries to adopt a common stance at international scenes. Kharrazi said that given Iran's satisfactory relations with Central Asian republics and its access to those states through land and sea, Vietnam can benefit from such an opportunity to reach markets in Central Asia. He also termed parliamentary cooperation between Iran and Vietnam as highly fruitful and said such cooperation can speed up trend of promotion of bilateral ties in other areas.

(IRNA)