Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe underlined the need for the further expansion of Tehran-Tokyo bilateral ties. During the meeting in New York on Thursday, the Iranian president pointed to age-old Iran-Japan relations, and said, “There are good opportunities for the Iran and Japan to further enhance their mutual cooperation.” The Japanese prime minister, for his part, appreciated President Rouhani’s policy of direct interactions with other countries, and said, “Tokyo is quite hopeful for expansion of comprehensive ties with Iran in the framework of international regulations.” Diplomatic relations between Iran and Japan were formally established in 1926 and throughout history, the two countries have maintained a friendly and strongly cooperation in various arenas. The two countries\' officials have held talks in different economic, trade, political and cultural fields in recent years to explore new ways of expanding bilateral ties.