Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has hailed the bilateral relations between Iran and Qatar saying his country seeks further expansion of relations with Tehran.

The Qatari emir made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the capital Doha on Tuesday, as he asked the top Iranian diplomat to convey his greetings to President Ebrahim Raeisi.

He went on to describe Iran as an important country in the region which holds a special position, calling for the development of economic relations between the two countries.

Sheikh Tamim further stated that economic relations between Doha and Tehran are improving. However, he said, the two countries have not reached their goals yet and they need to make efforts to elevate their cooperation to the desired level.

Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, hailed the effective role of Doha in resolving regional problems in recent years, while conveying the warm greetings of President Raeisi to the Qatari emir.

He also called for expanding the political and economic relations between Tehran and Doha, describing the upcoming meeting of the two countries' joint economic commission as “a favorable opportunity” for accelerating economic and trade cooperation.

Regional peace and stability, as well as the developments in Afghanistan and Palestine, were among other issues discussed in the meeting.

Amir-Abdollahian left Tehran for Qatar’s capital late Monday to discuss bilateral relations as well as major regional and international developments with high-ranking Qatari officials.

The Iranian foreign minister left Doha for Oman’s capital city of Muscat following his talks in Qatar.