"I think that Iran and Qatar play important roles in the establishment of sustainable security in the region," Larijani said during the meeting.
Stressing the necessity for using the two countries’ capacities, he said, "At present, the region is suffering from many crises, and restoring tranquility needs collective cooperation."
He underlined the need for the expansion of parliamentary and economic cooperation between the two countries, and said Tehran and Doha should use each others’ experiences and provide the ground for growth and mutual cooperation more than ever.
Larijani also invited his Qatari counterpart to pay a visit to Iran.
Khalifi, for his part, underscored Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s emphasis on continued contacts and relations between Tehran and Doha, and said, "We need cooperation to establish tranquility in the region and therefore, I hope that the good relations and contacts between Iran and Qatar continue and we witness flourishing of ties in all fields as this will benefit everyone."
Both Iran and Qatar have recently augmented efforts to further expand ties and cooperation in all the different political, economic, defense, security, judicial and cultural fields.
The two Persian Gulf littoral states recently signed several protocols to increase mutual cooperation.
Last month, Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani said expansion of economic ties with Iran stood atop his country’s agenda.
Speaking in a meeting with Iranian Labor Minister Ali Rabiyee in Doha, the Qatari premiere described Tehran-Doha relations as historical and deep-rooted, and said that private sectors of both sides could play a key role in enhancement of relations between the two neighboring countries.
He meanwhile expressed the hope that he would pay a visit to Iran in near future.
In December, Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri in a message to bin Khalifa al-Thani said Tehran was resolved to promote bilateral relations with Doha.
In his message, Jahangiri extended his congratulations to the Qatari premier, nation and government over the country’s national day, and underlined the need for the development of all-out ties between the two friendly nations.
