Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has described stability in Tajikistan as reassuring for all its neighbors in Central Asia, and important and strategic for the Islamic Republic.

Speaking in a meeting with his Tajik counterpart Sirojidin Aslov in the Russian capital, Moscow, on Thursday, Zarif said that Tehran attaches significance to the unity and national integrity of Tajikistan.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting and the High-level “Security and Stability in the SCO Region” Conference.

The top Iranian diplomat also described the rise of terrorist groups, including ISIL, across Western and Central Asia as a common security concern for the entire region, stressing the need for further cooperation among officials from neighboring countries to fight terrorism and promote security and stability.

Zarif said that Iranian state institutions are fully prepared for bilateral as well as multilateral cooperation to counter common security threats, including extremism and terrorism.

He also called for the further promotion of relations between Tehran and Dushanbe, particularly in economic areas, expressing hope for the removal of the obstacles facing some Iranian firms active in Tajikistan, and a consequent boost in trade and economic cooperation between the two Asian countries.

Aslov, for his part, described terrorist groups, including ISIL, as well as narcotics production and trafficking as some of the main security threats to Central Asian countries.

He underlined the importance of closer cooperation among regional states to fight the menaces.

Aslov also welcomed the further expansion of trade ties between Tajikistan and Iran, and lauded Tehran’s positions concerning the stability and development of his country.

BY PressTV