In a meeting with Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Anvar Solihbaev in Tehran on Saturday, Mottaki said the idea of extending the Chinese rail network to Iran’s Chabahar Port via Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, which was brought up in the ECO summit in Tehran, has been warmly received by regional countries.

Mottaki further pointed to “energy, transit, and the campaign against terrorism” as potential fields of cooperation between Iran and Uzbekistan, and indicated Tehran’s preparedness to transfer its experiences in the said areas to Tashkent.

“Tehran and Tashkent should benefit from their common interests and deepen their ties in different fields.”

Solihbaev expressed satisfaction over current relations between the two countries, saying positive measures have been taken to facilitate visa issuance and enhance economic transactions.