Speaking to reporters in Dushanbe, Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov reported on January 25 that his meeting with visiting Iranian Education Minister Mahmud Farshidi resulted in an agreement on Iranian assistance and cooperation in the fields of science, education, and culture, Asia-Plus reported. Farshidi reportedly added that Iran will provide particular assistance in expanding cooperation in the education and technology sectors, and said that Tehran wants to increase the number of exchange students between Iran and Tajikistan. Farshidi also announced that Iran has donated nearly 400,000 textbooks for use in Tajik secondary schools. Tajik Education Minister Abdujabbor Rakhmonov announced that the Tajik government has allocated land for the construction of a new joint Tajik-Iranian educational institution, to be funded by Iran\'s Education Ministry, and welcomed the plan for the coming academic year for a quota of 100 places for Tajik students to study at Iranian institutions of higher learning focusing on natural sciences, health care, and energy. (Asia-Plus)