TEHRAN — Mohammad Fat’hali, Iran’s ambassador to Uzbekistan called on Monday the process of Tehran-Tashkent cooperation as growing in all grounds especially in economic, trade, and industrial fields.

“Seven meetings of Iran-Uzbekistan joint economic and trade commission so far held coupled with the signed cooperation documents indicate the growing process of the bilateral cooperation”, Fat’hali told in an interview with the Persian service of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The ambassador also pointed out to the cooperation history of the two countries, stating, they are the members of the organizations of ECO and Shanghai. Moreover, Iran and Uzbekistan share common views on fighting terrorism, drug trafficking, as well as establishing security in the region.

“The two parts are expanding the economic cooperation. This can meet some of their needs and serve the mutual interests,” he opined. “Iran, having the technologies of the small and intermediate industries, is able to help Uzbekistan in industrial sector. In this regard, two industrial exhibitions have been so far held in that country and the next one is to be held in Tashkent in 2007.”

Uzbekistan produces the agricultural products such as cotton, wheat, silk, and oilcake. Iran is the most proper market for these products, he added.

According to him, Uzbekistan is seriously developing its auto-making industry. Given Iran’s good achievements in this regard, the Iranian auto part-makers can cooperate with the Uzbek auto-makers, he stated.

Moreover, Uzbekistan as the airplane producer in the region can cooperate with Iran on overhaul affairs as well as providing the parts, he further stated.

“Transportation is the basis for expansion of the mutual trade ties,” he said, adding, “Iran is the best route for Uzbekistan to access the free waters to export its cargos to the global markets. Uzbekistan is also the route for transit of the Iranian goods to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

“Mashhad-Bafq-Bandar Abbas Railway has shortened the route for transportation of the cargos of the Central Asia to the free waters by 800 km. Uzbekistan is keen to use this route to export its commodities.” In this regard, a trilateral agreement was signed by the presidents of Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan in 2001, he added.

The ambassador named establishment of Tehran-Tashkent direct flight once a week as another cooperation of the two countries in the transportation sector.

At the seventh meeting of Iran-Uzbekistan joint economic commission, the two parts came to the agreement on establishment of the second aviation line between the two capital cities by Uzbekistan, he explained.

Also in his remarks, Fat’hali explained about the agreements reached at the seventh session of Iran-Uzbekistan joint economic commission.

He noted that at this session, the two countries agreed to cooperate on the fields of commerce and trade, banking and finance as well as insurance, and transportation. They will also cooperate on transit and communication, industrial as well as technical and engineering services, agriculture and animal husbandry, science, technology and research, according to the document prepared at this session, he added.

Facilitation of the Iranian and Uzbek citizens as well as drivers of the transit trucks, preparing grounds for cooperation of the two countries’ private sectors, and expansion of cooperation on gas and petrochemical fields is other grounds of cooperation evaluated at the seventh meeting of the joint economic commission, the minister further noted.

Since the two countries are of high tourism attractions, they decided to expand cooperation in this sector, coming to the agreement on facilitation of issuing the visa as well as increasing the flights between the two countries.