Tajikistan\'s President Imomali Rakhmonov held talks in Dushanbe on 30 April with his visiting Iranian counterpart Mohammad Khatami. Both positively assessed the level of political and cultural ties between their two countries, but Rakhmonov expressed regret that trade and economic cooperation has not attained a comparable level. Discussing the situation in Afghanistan, the two presidents agreed that the UN ought to play a greater role in preparations for the election of a Loya Djirga and the creation of a new Afghan government in which all the country\'s ethnic groups will be represented. Representatives of the Tajik and Iranian governments signed nine separate cooperation agreements covering air transportation; agriculture; customs procedures; science, education and technology; combating drug trafficking; and other fields. (Interfax)