Foreign Minister of Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki, is expected to visit Georgia tentatively in June, Ramin Mehmanparast, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said on May 21.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman is visiting Tbilisi, accompanying a group of Iranian journalists.

He also said that a visit of Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was also possible. According to the Iranian sources, President Saakashvili extended invitation to Iranian President to visit Georgia on May 14 when Iran's new ambassador in Tbilisi, Majid Saber, submitted his credentials to the Georgian President. 

After the planned Iranian Foreign Minister’s visit to Georgia, Mehmanparast said, holding of a joint Georgian-Iranian governmental commission meeting was expected in Iran.

“We are waiting for the Georgian Prime Minister [Nika Gilauri] to visit Iran and accompanying the delegation for the joint commission,” he said.

“Relations between Iran and Georgia are excellent,” Mehmanparast said. “In political affairs we have very good relationship, but we think that we should increase our cooperation in economic affairs... especially in energy sector, agriculture.”

Speaking at a conference of Iranian and Georgian journalists in Tbilisi on May 21, Iran’s new ambassador to Georgia, Majid Saber, said there was a great potential in boosting bilateral cooperation in energy sector. He said that Iran planned to invest in construction of hydro power plant in Georgia and the Georgian side had requested Iran to share its experience in wind energy development.

Responding to a question about Georgia-U.S. relations, the Iranian ambassador recalled Georgia’s energy crisis in January, 2006 caused by explosion of two gas pipelines in Russia’s North Caucasus and said Iran at the time showed its readiness to provide assistance through supply of gas.

“No U.S. help was there when you needed it most. Real friendship is demonstrated in hard times,” the Iranian ambassador said without further elaboration on the matter.