Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Saturday accepted Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's official invitation to visit Japan, former Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Nakayama said.
The two countries are working toward realizing Khatami's visit in November, said Nakayama, who met the Iranian president in Tehran earlier in the day to hand him the invitation.
Expressing his gratitude, Khatami said he hopes to further strengthen relations with Japan, Nakayama said.
If realized, Khatami's visit to Japan will be his first since he took office in August 1997.
Nakayama was on a two-day visit ending Sunday in Iran in his capacity as head of a league of Japanese lawmakers promoting friendship with the country.
Nakayama and two other lawmakers in the delegation met Iranian parliamentary leaders and agreed to cooperate toward better bilateral relations, he said.