TEHRAN - The Republic of Ukraine and the Islamic Republic of Iran have established close economic and political ties, and senior officials of the two countries have visited or plan to visit each other's capitals, the Embassy of the Republic of Ukraine announced here on Thursday.

Both Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi have been invited to visit Kiev this year, according to Volodymyr Dubovyk, the first secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran.

Dubovyk, who is also the chief of the embassy's political section, told the TEHRAN TIMES that a Ukraine-Iran parliamentary friendship group is in the offing, and visits between members of the two countries' parliamentary friendship groups will begin as soon as members of the Ukraine Parliamentary Group are introduced.

The Ukrainian foreign minister visited Iran in December 2001 and held meetings with Iranian officials.

Dubovyk said that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzadeh is also expected to visit Kiev to meet with Ukrainian officials.

The third session of the Iran-Ukraine Joint Economic Commission was held in Tehran from May 20-22, 2002. Ukraine's 35-member delegation was headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Dubia.

The Ukrainian delegation also held meetings with officials of several Iranian ministries, including the commerce, oil, and industries and mines ministries. The two countries' businessmen also held meetings at the Iranian Chamber of Commerce.

Dubovyk said that about 250 Ukrainian nationals living in Iran participated in Ukraine's March 31 parliamentary elections by voting at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran.

He said that Ukrainian nationals working in other parts of Iran such as at the Isfahan airplane manufacturing company HESA, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Ahvaz Ramin Power Plant, and Ukrainian students studying at the Imam Khomeini University took part in the parliamentary elections as well.

According to Ukraine's Central Electoral Commission, about 70 percent of the country's eligible voters took part in the election. More than 7,000 people registered as candidates, representing 33 different political parties and groups. The United Ukraine Party, which is chaired by Vladymir Lytvin, received the most votes in the legislative election.

Ukraine is one of the most important republics of the former Soviet Union. It became independent in 1991 and has held three parliamentary elections.

It is one of the world's most important steel producers and manufactures high quality passenger planes. Ukraine and Iran are jointly producing the Iran-140 passenger plane in Isfahan.

Ukraine hopes to acquire observer status in the European Union by 2007 and to become a full member by 2010.