Tehran, March 27: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for closer cooperation among the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
Ahmadinejad made the remarks on Saturday in a meeting with ECO Secretary General Muhammad Yahya Maroofi, stressing that the ECO plays an important role in expansion of ties in the region, IRNA reported.
The ECO official lauded Iran’s role in increasing relations among the regional countries, and said that Nowruz celebrations provide a good opportunity for promotion of ties in all spheres, particularly in culture.
Maroofi is in Tehran to attend the celebrations marking the Iranian new year of Nowruz, scheduled to be held on March 27 and 28.
The ECO is an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey providing a platform to promote economic, technical and cultural cooperation among member states.
Iran is hosting senior officials from 20 countries at the International Nowruz Celebrations. High-ranking officials from the Persian-speaking states of Tajikistan and Afghanistan will join representatives from the countries that celebrate Nowruz such as Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Albania, and Turkey.
Ahmadinejad also met with a number of high-ranking officials from several countries who are in Tehran to attend Nowruz celebrations.
Earlier in the day, the Iranian president met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
Ahmadinejad also met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Zanzibar’s Vice-President Seif Ali Iddi, Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, India’s Health Minister Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, and a number of other senior officials.
——–Agencies