DUSHANBE , November 27, 2008, Asia-Plus – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad officially welcomed on Thursday his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon in Tehran who arrived in Tehran on a two-day visit, IRNA reported.

The two presidents reviewed a guard of honor after listening to the national anthems of the two countries.

President Rahmon is in Tehran heading a high-ranking delegation to discuss major bilateral, regional and international issues with senior Iranian officials.

He was welcomed at the airport by Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah.

The Tajik president is to hold separate talks with president Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Mostafa Najjar and Energy Minister Parviz Fattah.

Expansion of bilateral ties, situation in Central Asia and Caucasus, world financial crisis and transferring electricity from Iran and Tajikistan via Afghanistan are among major subjects to be discussed in Rahmon''s talks with Iranian officials.