TEHRAN- In a meeting late on Monday, Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon stressed the need to strengthen connections with an emphasis on more political, economic, scientific, and technical collaboration. Ghalibaf said while ties between the two nations have improved significantly in recent months, they are still far from where they should be.He expressed optimism that economic relations between the two countries will improve in the near future, particularly with the private sector's activation.The Tajik president said Iran had made significant progress in recent years.

"The progress of the Islamic Republic in peaceful nuclear technology and the ineffectiveness of sanctions shows the progress of your country and we are ready to cooperate with Iran in various fields," the Tajik leader pointed out.President Rahmon made a two-day trip to Iran starting on Sunday afternoon.

Leading a high-level delegation, he met lengthy talks with President Ebrahim Raisi, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber.During his stay in Tehran, 17 cooperation documents were signed between the two countries.