Uzbekistan's first deputy foreign minister met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on Monday for the eighth round of political consultations between the two countries, with both sides pledging to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation.

Araghchi congratulated Uzbekistan on its independence anniversary and thanked Tashkent for its principled positions on the U.S. and Israeli military aggression against Iran. He also expressed appreciation for the attendance of a high-ranking Uzbek delegation led by parliament speaker at the funeral rites for the martyred Leader.

The minister said the two countries enjoyed good relations and regular high-level contacts, including his own meeting with his Uzbek counterpart on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation foreign ministers' meeting in Kyrgyzstan. He stressed the need to plan for stronger interaction in all fields of mutual interest, and to use the two sides' good relations to expand cooperation between Iran and Central Asian states within multilateral frameworks to preserve security and boost economic and trade ties.

Uzbekistan's deputy foreign minister, for his part, conveyed the greetings of Uzbek Foreign Minister and said Tashkent was ready to develop comprehensive cooperation with Iran in all areas.

MNA