DUSHANBE, October 21, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- On Wednesday October 20, President Emomali Rahmon received visiting Iranian parliamentary delegation, led by Hussein Hashimiyan, according to presidential press service.

President Rahmon highly appraised bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran in all spheres.  He, however, noted that there were still many unused resources and reserves in that area.

The sides noted that bilateral economic and investment cooperation between the two countries has entered a new level – the level of strategic partnership – in recent years, and expressed hope that the first unit of the Sagtuda-2 hydropower plant, which has been built with help from Iranian specialists, would be introduced into operation until the end of this year.

They also considered issues related to tripartite cooperation of Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan in connecting their power supply and transport infrastructures, presidential press service said.

The same day, Iranian parliamentary delegation met with Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, Chairman of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) also Mayor of Dushanbe.

Shavkat Saidov, an aide to the Majlisi Milli speaker, says the sides discussed a role of cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries in strengthening Tajik-Iranian relations.

Hussein Hashimiyan noted that his country was ready to promote attraction of Iranian private capital for implementation of a number of projects in Tajikistan, in particular in the fields of energy, gas and oil production, farm produce processing and mining.

Ubaidulloyev, for his part, noted that MPs of the two countries could ensure mutual protection of investments through adopting appropriate laws, Saidov said.