TEHRAN (IRNA) -- The 8th Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Commission meeting is to he held in Tehran on February 19, deputy Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said on Tuesday.

Speaking to IRNA, he said during the two-day meeting, representatives from both sides would follow up implementation of agreements already signed by Iran and Uzbekistan and would also explore new grounds for expansion of economic cooperation between the two parties.

Iran's Commerce Minister Masud Mirkazemi would head Iranian delegation and the Uzbek delegation would be led by the Uzbek deputy prime minister, he said.

With a 27.3 million population, the Republic of Uzbekistan is among most populated Muslim regions in the ex-Soviet Union.

"Expansion of economic cooperation with Uzbekistan as the heart of Central Asia and wide access to regional countries is of prime importance to us," he said.

The two countries have taken concrete measures to boot mutual economic cooperation, he said.

Setting up exclusive trade exhibitions and establishment of Bank Saderat branch in Tashkent were among Iran's measure to broaden mutual economic cooperation, he pointed out.

Establishment of independent and joint economic units, implementation of technical and engineering projects, rendering financial supports, granting of a three million dollars financial aid to help investors are among steps which would help boost economic cooperation between the two sides, he said.