TEHRAN President Mohammad Khatami here on Sunday night, on the eve of his landmark visit to Japan, met the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
During the meeting, the Leader wished for further success of the president, IRNA said.
President Khatami will leave Tehran on Monday night for a four-day state visit to Japan, the first by an Iranian head of state in 42 years.
His visit, which comes at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, is aimed at improving bilateral relations and opening a new page in Tehran-Tokyo ties.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Hamid Reza Assefi, on Monday said the upcoming visit to Japan of President Khatami would be a turning point' in Tehran-Tokyo bilateral relations.
"This trip is among the most important visits by President Khatami and both sides expect bilateral relations to be further institutionalized," Assefi told reporters.
"This trip paves the way for Tehran and Tokyo to discuss such important international and regional issues as Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, Far East Asia, Middle East and the fight against drug trafficking." President Khatami left Tehran on Monday night for a four-day state visit to Tokyo, the first by an Iranian head of state in 42 years.
Aside from their political and economic commonalities, Assefi added, both countries have carved independent cultures and rich, longstanding civilizations. He said that Japan has always been a good economic partner for Iran.
"From the eastern point of view, the path has been paved for Iran and Japan to have long-term cooperation," he said, adding that "Japan's welcome (preparations) for the Iranian president demonstrates its willingness to expand relations with Iran." Much as Japan considers Iran an important regional state, the latter also attaches great importance to the former which is Asia's most industrialized state and rich in civilization.
"President Khatami's visit is aimed mostly at giving variety to bilateral economic cooperation, accomplishing a transfer of technology, inviting Japanese investment in Iran, opening Japan's market for Iranian non-oil exports, activating both countries' private sectors and planning a long-term economic-industrial cooperation with Japan." Japan is currently Iran's largest trade partner with 10 percent of its oil requirements supplied by Iran. Iran is its third largest oil supplier.
The value of Iran-Japan trade exchanges stood at four billion dollars in 1999.
The two nations exchanged documents finalizing a loan of 7.5 billion yen ($69.31 million) in Tehran on October 8 to help complete a hydroelectric dam in Khuzestan Province.
IRNA, in the meantime, reported from Tokyo that the Iranian and Japanese governments have entered final talks on giving Japan the first shot at negotiating the rights to drill in Iran's largest oil field, government sources said Monday.
Japanese prime minister and Iranian president are expected to discuss the issue at a summit slated for Wednesday in Tokyo.
On Monday, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the two sides have already struck a basic agreement on giving Japan preferential rights to develop and tap the Azadegan field, which lies near the border with Iraq.
The parties will likely reach a final agreement at a meeting between Japanese Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma and Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh, who will accompany Khatami on his visit to Tokyo that starts Tuesday, the major daily said.
If an accord is struck, the project would be Japan's largest development and operation of an oil field.
Some key details of the deal remain undecided, such as the exact location of Japan's lot in Azadegan and the length of time it would be allowed to operate it, the sources said.
Iran has described the oil field as its largest since September 1999. It is said to have confirmed reserves of more than 26 billion barrels and is expected to yield 300,000-400,000 barrels per day.
The Japanese side plans to form a consortium of private and semigovernmental oil explorers, trading houses and oil refiners, including Indonesian Petroleum LTD., which is 50% owned by the state-run Japan National Oil Corp.
Tokyo is keen to deepen its economic ties with oil-rich Iran during the four-day visit by Khatami, who will be the first Iranian president to visit Japan since the 1979 Iranian revolution.