TEHRAN – Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani held talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Karu Jayasuriya in Colombo on Friday.

Larijani said that the two countries’ parliaments have established a close relationship.

“The two parliaments have cooperation in international fora. There are good relations between the two governments and there are also good ties in political, cultural and parliamentary spheres,” Larijani explained.

He also called for expansion of relations in various areas.

For his part, Jayasuriya said that Sri Lanka seeks to expand economic relations with Iran.

The two countries have potentials to expand economic relations, the Sri Lankan parliament speaker added.

Before visiting Colombo, the Iranian parliament approved a bill on prisoner swap with Sri Lanka.

Prior to his visit to Sri Lanka, Larijani also made a two-day visit to Hanoi, where he held talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday. 

The sides discussed political and economic ties.

While in Hanoi, Larijani said it is necessary that the two countries strengthen economic and political relations, noting that there are good opportunities for expansion of cooperation in maritime field.

“Iran seeks to invest in the Makran region which is a good investment opportunity for Vietnam,” he added.

Phuc also said that Iran and Vietnam have many capacities to expand cooperation.

NA/PA