TEHRAN -- Parliament Speaker Mahdi Karrubi here Monday stressed the need to make use of Iran-Yemen potential to further bolster bilateral ties in political, economic, cultural and parliamentary fields.

In a meeting with Vice-Speaker of Yemeni Parliament Abd al-Wahab Mahmoud, Karrubi pointed to the deep-rooted religious, historical and cultural bonds between Tehran and San'a and expressed satisfaction with growing trend in mutual ties. Referring to the continued Zionist atrocities and the support made by a number of big powers for the regime under pretext of fighting terrorism and defending human rights, Karrubi said return of Palestinian refugees to their own lands and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is "the only way to settle the Palestinian crisis."

He called for more convergence and cooperation among all Islamic states in a bid to foil the enemies' plots.

Expressing satisfaction with increase in exchange of visits between the two sides' political and parliamentary officials, he termed the trend as "necessary" for strengthening of Iran-Yemen relations.

Karrubi expressed hope that the upcoming session of Iran-Yemen Joint Economic Commission would bear fruitful results in line with the national interests of both countries.

According to the Cultural Bureau and Public Relations Department of Majlis, Abd al-Wahab for his part highlighted the results of the recent visit of the Iranian Majlis speaker to Yemen as very fruitful.

Reiterating the two sides' historical ties, he called for further exchange of political and parliamentary delegations to help broaden and deepen mutual ties.

Referring to the sensitive issues of the region and the long-term scheme of the big powers to dominate regional states, he lauded the wise stands of the Islamic Republic of Iran toward regional issues such as that of Palestine and the Iraq crisis.

He also underlined the need for further cooperation and exchange of views among Islamic states in the region, reported IRNA.