TEHRAN Visiting Macedonian Foreign Minister Aleksandar Dimitrov met here on Monday with President Mohammad Khatami and handed over a written message from Macedonian prime minister.
At the meeting, the president pointed out that the Islamic Republic of Iran was among those the first countries to recognize the independence of Macedonia and expressed Iran's willingness to broaden an all-out relations with the country.
Terming the status of Macedonia in Europe and mainly at the sensitive region of Balkans as significant, Khatami referred to the violent clashes in that region and praised the humanitarian stance taken by Macedonia during the crisis.
Macedonia has had a successful experience with democracy despite the various ethnic and religious groups in the country,'' said Khatami adding that having common goals, interests and understanding have brought the two countries much closer.
Expressing the greetings of the Iranian government and nation to the Macedonian president, prime minister and its nation, Khatami said A powerful, stable and secure Macedonia in the Balkans will lead to restoration of security and stability in that region.
The Macedonian foreign minister conveyed the warmest greetings of his country's president and prime minister to President Khatami and said that high-ranking officials of his country are eager to further broaden and consolidate relation between the two countries.
In the meantime, Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi here Monday expressed pleasure over the active role played by Macedonian Muslims in that country's Parliament and cabinet and hoped this can serve as a factor to bring the two nations closer.
Karrubi told the visiting Macedonian foreign minister that Iran is ready for expansion of cooperation with Macedonia in the fields of politics, culture, joint investment and tourism.
Iranian MPs, he pointed out, along with President Mohammad Khatami's administration are for detente, confidence building and expansion of relations with all countries on the basis of mutual respect.
Also, Iran's Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Abdolalizadeh and Dimitrov here on Monday agreed on further cooperation between the two countries in the field of construction.
After meeting the Macedonian foreign minister, Abdolalizadeh told IRNA that there are extensive grounds for cooperation between the two countries.
He said Macedonia enjoys high technology and experience in housing construction and the history of the activities of the companies of that country in Iran goes back to the pre-revolution era.
At the meeting, Dimitrov said the Macedonian banks are prepared to place credits at the disposal of companies operating in the construction sector in Iran.
The two sides agreed to create joint construction companies to operate in the two countries and the region and it was decided that the issue should be pursued during the visit to Iran by the Macedonian minister of housing and urban development.
The invitation for such a visit is to be extended.
The Macedonian official also said that his country's Seismology Institute is prepared to cooperate with its counterparts in Iran and the issue is to be followed up by Iran's Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
(IRNA)