New Delhi, July 19: India and Iran have decided to establish a joint parliamentary friendship group for strengthening parliamentary relations between the two countries, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi said here today. The announcement was made by Joshi after the Iranian ambassador in India Siyavosh Zargar Yaghoubi called on him here, according to a Lok Sabha release.

Terming India and Iran as "historically and culturally close friends", the speaker said the ties between them could be strengthened further by the frequent exchange of visits of parliamentary delegations.

Yaghoubi, on the other hand hailed, India's success as a democratic country and said Iran has a lot to learn from India.

He invited Joshi to lead a parliamentary delegation to Iran.

Bureau Report