Iran Urges Asian Countries to Expand Scientific Cooperation

Certain powers that have monopoly over scientific activities are opposed to progress of independent states, Iranian Supreme Leader's top Aide for International Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati said.

He made the remarks in a message to ASAIHL Conference 2018, held in Qazvin.

The emerging powers should pursue development of scientific relations and setting up joint projects, Velayati noted.

He referred to Iran's advances in nanotechnology, biotechnology and aerospace technology and noted that the Iranian academic and research centers are ready to share their scientific achievements with other countries' academic centers.

Qazvin Islamic Azad University is hosting the 2018 conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL).

Earlier in September, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced that his country stands first in West Asia in terms of scientific progress.

In relevant remarks in June, Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari announced that the country ranked 15th in the world in producing science and stood 7th in nanotechnology.

"In the past 1.5 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has ascended three steps and is now standing among the 15 pioneering science production nations in the world," Sattari said.

Noting that Iran ranked 7th in advanced nanotechnology, he said, "We have plans to rank 5th in this field."

Sattari also announced that 1,500 knowledge-based companies were active in different Iranian provinces.

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