Tasnim – Iran’s Foreign Ministry congratulated Uzbekistan on holding parliamentary elections successfully.

In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi congratulated the Uzbek nation and government for the parliamentary elections successfully held in the Central Asian country.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous country, held parliamentary elections on December 22.

A provisional count of ballots showed President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Liberal Democratic Party, or UzLiDeP, getting at least 43 out of the 150 seats, thereby retaining its pole position. Milliy Tiklanish held onto its second-place spot with 35 seats.

The Social Democratic Party, or Adolat, won 21 seats, the People’s Democratic Party got 18, and the Ecological Party, which used to be allocated 15 deputies by default, came in last with 11 seats.

Another 22 seats are due to go to runoff contests early next year.