Tasnim � Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri and Kyrgyzstan�s Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev held talks about a host of topics, including the latest efforts to boost bilateral relations between the two countries.

Speaking at the meeting, held in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent on Saturday, Jahangiri emphasized that the Iran-Kyrgyzstan joint economic commission should remove obstacles hampering the bilateral trade.

The Iranian official further praised the close ties between the two nations and said, �The religious, historical, and cultural commonalities of the two countries can pave the way for expanding bilateral relations in all areas.�

The Kyrgyz premier, for his part, highlighted Iran�s important position in his country�s foreign policy and said the Islamic Republic was among the first countries that recognized Kyrgyzstan�s independence.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Jahangiri arrived in Tashkent on Friday to take part in the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Member States of the SCO.

Upon his arrival, he was welcomed by Uzbekistan�s Deputy Prime Minister Aziz Abdul Hakimov, the Uzbek deputy foreign minister, Tashkent mayor and the Iranian ambassador to Uzbekistan.

Speaking to reporters, Jahangiri said, �The SCO is one of the most important organizations formed in Asia and important countries such as Russia and China are among its members.�

He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran is also interested in becoming a member of the Organization.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance, the creation of which was announced on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The SCO Charter, formally establishing the organization, was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003.

Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Belarus are observer states of the organization.