TEHRAN – Mahmud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that the Islamic nations can resolve a great number of problems currently facing them including the Palestine crisis through more cooperation and convergence.

“By making use of the great potentials of the Islamic world we can defend the tenets of Islam and move the issues forward,” Ahmadinejad told the visiting Tunisian Foreign Minister Abdulvahhab Abdullah.

Touching on deep historical and cultural ties between Iran and Tunisia the president said the Tunisian Republic as a Muslim state enjoys a significant status in the Islamic Republic foreign policy due to its geo-strategic position in North Africa.

He went on to say that the two countries should try to develop their relations in tourism, industry, agriculture and academic cooperation.

Ahmadinejad also expressed gratitude for Tunisia’s proper position in defending Iran’s right to access nuclear technology for peaceful purposes in the international fora, saying that it was a sign of brotherly relations between the two Islamic countries.

The Tunisian foreign minister for his part pointed to the cultural, religious and historical ties between Iran and Tunisia and underlined the necessity of boosting bilateral relations.

The top diplomat said Tunisia and Iran share common views on a great number of regional and international issues and highlighted further consultations between the two states within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Abdullah said the implementation of economic contracts can help the development of bilateral relations between Iran and Tunisia which enjoy significant geo-strategic positions in the Middle East and North Africa respectively.

Iran & Tunisia sign eight cooperation agreements

At the eighth joint commission between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Tunisian Republic which was terminated on Sunday eight cooperation contracts were signed between the two countries. The contracts vary from industrial investments to cooperation in scientific, technological, telecommunications, information technology, cultural, women and youth affairs.

During the closing ceremony of the joint commission the Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said Iran and Tunisia enjoy great economic, cultural and political capacities that should be detected.