Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Sunday that Iran`s scientific achievements would serve to expand cooperation among regional countries.
Mottaki made the remark at the opening ceremony of the 8th meeting of foreign ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC).
Accelerated pace of technological advancement, free trade, and wide-scale participation of private sectors in economic activities have prepared grounds for expansion of regional cooperation more than ever before, he said.
Expansion of regional cooperation have registered a remarkable growth which in turn will prepare grounds for utilizing huge economic potential and achieving sustainable development, obtaining access to various technological know-how, upgrading the standard of living, improvement of social welfare and uprooting deprivations, he said.
To overcome difficulties, it is necessary to devise a new mechanism to properly make use of potential of the private sector and the state-run organizations in implementing regional programs, Mottaki said.
Fortunately, the IOR-ARC has made positive and constructive achievements in the past three years to this end, said the Iranian foreign minister.
Implementation of economic programs is among top priority of the union which would bring social welfare for the people of the region, he said.
Expansion of economic cooperation would prepare grounds for facilitating trade exchange, increasing volume of foreign investments, implementing development and technological programs, he underlined.
The current volume of trade exchange among member countries is not satisfactory and not in tune with their huge potentialities, Mottaki said.
It is necessary for the union to increase volume of trade transactions, expand customs cooperation, promote cooperation in the fields of energy, shipping, fishery, banking services, tourism and sciences in order to turn into a successful model in the region, he said.
Iran has scored remarkable success in various scientific, nuclear, medical, industrial and agricultural sectors and is ready to put them all at the disposal of regional countries, he said.
The Iranian foreign minister expressed the hope that the conference would be a success.