DUSHANBE, May 26, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- On the sidelines of the 36th session of the council of foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member states that was held in Damascus on May 24-25, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi on May 24 met with his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshyar Zibari, according to the MFA information department.

In the course of the talks, the two discussed a broad range of international and regional issues being of mutual interest.  Zarifi and Zibari stated interest of their countries in establishing friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Tajik president’s initiative to declare the year of 2009 as Year of Imam Azam in Tajikistan was also in the focus of the meeting.  In this connection, Iraqi minister noted that representatives of his country were ready to take an active part in the planned events in Dushanbe.

Zibari was also interested in a tripartite meeting of foreign ministers of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan that was held during this year’s Navrouz festival and expressed his readiness to participate in such meetings in the future, the MFA information department said.