Tajik president meets Khamenei in Tehran

May 8, 2007

Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, received the president of Tajikistan, Imomali Rakhman, in Tehran today. Their meeting focused on expanding bilateral ties between the two nations and trilateral talks among the three Persian-speaking nations. Moreover, both heads of state expressed the desire to expand ties with the Islamic world.

Khamenei stated that the past of Iran and Tajikistan are intertwined religiously and culturally. This is because Tajikistan was part of Iran before the late 1700s. Nevertheless, Khamenei said the true religion of Islam is the key to Islamic unity among all of the Islamic Countries. Rakhman agreed with Khamenei and said, Enemies of Islam and the Islamic Republic are not willing to see the expanding levels of ties between Iran and the regional countries or the world of Islam, nevertheless, Iran's unity-inspiring policies besides its progress has become source of pride and opportunities for the region and the whole world of Islam.

The Tajik president also said that should Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan become linked through railway, then the flow of many resources to Central Asia and China will be made possible due to Iran's access to the Persian Gulf and beyond.

Later, President Rakhman met with Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, and expressed support for the nuclear program of Iran,It is the legitimate right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to benefit from peaceful nuclear energy.