MNA � Uzbekistan�s Ambassador to Iran Bakhodir Abdullaev said that common history and culture has paved the way for increasing tourism cooperation but lack of direct Iran-Uzbekistan flight is a major problem which hinders the process.







He made the remarks on Monday in a meeting with the general governor of Markazi province Seyyed Ali Aghazadeh in the city of Arak.

117 factories are active in Uzbekistan that are jointly owned by Iranian-Uzbek investors, and most of these investments have been made by businesspersons of Markazi province, added the envoy.

Bilateral relations between Tehran and Tashkent have deepened since presidents of the two countries met last year, he said, adding that Uzbekistan is fully ready to enhance the level of cooperation with Iran in different fields.

Aghazadeh, for his part, said that Markazi province enjoys high potentials for enhancing industrial and agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

The metropolis of Arak has an international airport and also an airline which can prepare the grounds for establishing Iran-Uzbekistan flight, he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, touching upon US sanctions against the Iranian nation, he said that all countries except Saudi Arabia and the Israeli regime are against these sanctions. It is expected that Iran�s neighboring countries support Iran in these circumstances, he added.