Tehran, Nov 7, IRNA � President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that Iran and South Korea can cooperate to help promote peace and stability in the Middle East and East Asia.

Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran with visiting South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.

The president said that Iran as a country with significant regional status and South Korea as an important country in East Asia have remarkable capacities for expansion of ties in all areas such as economy, culture and politics.

He expressed hope that South Korean companies can have active presence in the Iranian market along with their rivals from other countries.

Meanwhile, the South Korean foreign minister said that his country is eager to expand all-out relations with Tehran.

Yun said that major South Korean companies are desperately waiting for lifting of anti-Iran sanctions to return to the Iranian market.

He said that cultural commonalities and fifty years of bilateral relations have paved the way for further expansion of ties between Tehran and Seoul in economic and political areas.

By IRNA