TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Speaker of Iran�s Parliament Ali Larijani referred to Georgia as a �good friend� for Iran, and voiced Tehran�s willingness to expand mutual cooperation with Tbilisi.

Close ties between the two countries can prepare the grounds for the expansion of cultural and economic cooperation, Larijani said in a Wednesday meeting with his Georgian counterpart Davit Usupashvili in New York.

The two parliament speakers held their meeting on the sidelines of the fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament organized in the US city by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Larijani further hailed the existing level of ties between the two countries and called for the promotion of Tehran-Tbilisi parliamentary relations.

He referred to the economic plans that can be implemented by Iran and Georgia, and pointed to the transfer of Iran�s natural gas to Europe through Georgia as one of such projects.

Larijani also said the transfer of Georgia�s water to Iran can contribute to the reinforcement of economic ties, saying, �With the transfer of Georgia�s water to Iran, problems in some of Iran�s regions such as that of Lake Oroumiyeh, which suffers from water shortage, can be resolved.�

Usupashvili, for his part, said his country welcomes the transfer of its water to neighboring countries including Iran.

He further expressed the hope for the promotion of bilateral ties in all fields, saying that a high-ranking Georgian delegation will soon visit Tehran to pave the way for increased collaborations.

The meeting came almost a month after Larijani highlighted the potentials for the expansion of collaborations between Iran and Georgia in various fields, including fossil and renewable energy.

In a meeting with Deputy Chairman of Georgian Parliament Gubaz Sanikidze in Tehran on August 9, Larijani said the ground is set for enhanced bilateral ties in political, economic, trade and scientific fields.

By Tasnim News Agency