DUSHANBE, January 5, 2010, Asia-Plus -- Issues related to expansion of parliamentary cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran were a major topic of a meeting of Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Saydullo Khairulloyev with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that was held in Dushanbe yesterday.

Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, said that the two officials noted that bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran has expanded in recent years and a two-way trade between them has increased several times over the past five years.

The sides also discussed ways to expand parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, said the spokesman.

Tajik speaker expressed hope that using existing opportunities, Tajikistan and Iran would expand parliamentary cooperation in the future as well.

For his part, President Ahmadinejad expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between the two countries and emphasized the necessity of expanding bilateral cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan in all spheres, including parliamentary cooperation.  Iranian president noted that it is important to use experience of both countries in working out and adopting laws and other important international legal acts, Sultonov said.