DUSHANBE, May 18, 2009, Asia-Plus -- On Monday May 18, President Emomali Rahmon received Iran’s Vice President also President also Head of the National Youth Organization of Iran Mohammad Javad Haji Ali Akbari, who arrived in Tajikistan Sunday on a three-day visit.

According to presidential press service, the two discussed a broad range of issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran.

Tajik leader, in particular, expressed confidence that Iranian vice-president’s visit to Tajikistan would give a new impulse to further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two fraternal countries.  Rahmon noted that Iran was one of strategic partners of Tajikistan and expressed satisfaction over strategic partnership between Tajikistan and Iran on construction of tunnels and the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plants in Tajikistan.

The sides expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries in sectors like health care, sport, tourism, education, science,  culture, information and entrepreneurship would expand in the future as well.

Rahmon and Haji Ali Akbari also noted that development of a three-year program for cooperation between youth committees of the two countries would be a reasonable step, presidential press service said.