The issues were discussed during a meeting between Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who also emphasized preserving their shared cultural and civilizational heritage, reviving the ancestral script in Tajikistan, and strengthening regional connectivity.

Aref thanked the Tajik government and people for their supportive stance toward Iran during the US-Israeli war of aggression, stressing that the two countries should capitalize on their historical, cultural and linguistic ties to further develop bilateral relations.

The two sides called for establishing a union of Persian-speaking countries and regions, setting up centers to commemorate Nowruz, creating an Aryan civilization center, and forming a joint high-level committee on Persian language, literature, culture and civilization. They also emphasized reviving the ancestral script in Tajikistan.

On economic ties, Aref said bilateral trade had grown by 50 percent in recent months compared with the same period last year, despite obstacles, including the war imposed on Iran. He said the current level of trade remained below the two countries’ potential and called for broader commercial, scientific, technological, cultural and tourism cooperation.

Aref also welcomed Rahmon’s proposal for an energy corridor linking South Pars, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, describing it as a constructive initiative that has been submitted to the Iranian president. He said Iran is ready to cooperate with Tajikistan in oil and gas exploration, petrochemicals and exports of petroleum products, while both sides stressed the importance of exporting Iranian energy products to Tajikistan and connecting the country to the open waters of the Persian Gulf.

Aref also highlighted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a platform for strengthening trade, transit, energy and infrastructure links, as well as cooperation on border security, counterterrorism, drug trafficking and developments in Afghanistan. The two sides also stressed the need to implement an agreement to establish a joint Iran-Tajikistan technology center.

Aref and Rahmon further called for closer coordination in regional and international forums, alongside expanded cultural, tourism, scientific and economic exchanges, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding their shared Persian-speaking heritage and strengthening cooperation between the two nations.