High level meeting of Pak-Iran experts on science, technology held

ISLAMABAD: A high level joint meeting of Pak-Iran experts on Science and Technology held at Tehran on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Science and Technology, Rana Tanveer Hussain said that both Pakistan and Iran enjoy remarkable relations since beginning, said a press release received here.

Both sides have been pursuing programmes of cooperation with the exchange of proposals, information and expertise, he said.

The minister said both sides also agreed to further enhance progress on joint working group on scientific & Technological Cooperation.

Rana Tanveer Hussain said the Islamic Republic of Iran is much more at the advanced stages in establishing Science & Technology Parks for promoting Research & Development entrepreneurship and knowledge economy. He stated that linkages were established with the Inter-Islamic Network on science and Technology Parks (INSTP) based in Iran.

He desired his government keen interest in exchanges of information via Science & Technology Parks in Iran, which is reflected in the upcoming 3-day International Workshop on Science & Technology Parks at Comsats Institute of Information & Technology (CIIT) in collaboration with INSTP, COMSTECH and IDB.

The Minister expressed that cooperation in Science & Technology with Islamic Republic of Iran has also been pursued at the multilateral forums such as COMSTECH, COMSATS, ECO-Science Foundation based in Islamabad besides other forums such as UN ESCAP-APCTT, NAM S&T Centre and D-8 Group of countries. Both sides discussed the joint proposal pursued by Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and appreciated the jointly funded projects being undertaken by the two sides.

In this regards, the two sides also threw light upon various MoUs framed between Ministry of Science & Technology for Pakistan and Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Minister thanked his Iranian counterpart Dr. Mansour Gholami for cooperation in the fields of Biotechnology, Renewable Energy Technologies, Oceanography, Material Sciences and Science & Technology Parks in recent years.

The Minister proposed that Pakistan-Iran Joint Technology Park to be set up in Pakistan with the assistance of Iran.

Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Rana Tanveer Hussain is currently visiting Tehran on the special invitation of Dr. Mansour Gholami, Minister of Science, Research and Technology of Islamic Republic of Iran.