Iranian President Mohammad Khatami expressed his desire to expand bilateral ties with Japan in the areas of economics, politics and culture on Tuesday, the first day of his four-day visit.

Khatami held brief talks with Foreign Minister Yohei Kono at Tokyo's Haneda airport, where the Iranian leader arrived for the first official visit to Japan by the president of the Islamic state since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

During their discussions, Khatami said the two countries have a good opportunity to forge closer ties in the three fields, according to a Foreign Ministry official.