Iran, Venezuela Agree to Expand ICT Relations

The Iranian ICT minister and his Venezuelan counterpart agreed to form a joint working group to prepare an agreement in the near future on expanding relations in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). According to a report published on the official website of the Iranian ICT ministry, the Iranian ICT minister Eisa Zarepour along with other Iranian authorities from the ministry held a meeting with a Venezuelan delegation comprised of the vice president and the Venezuelan ICT minister in Tehran on Sunday evening. In the meeting, Zarepour stressed that the two countries have had unparalleled strategic relations over the past 20 years, adding. "As the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasized during the recent visit of the Venezuelan high-ranking delegation to our country, we seek to expand relations with Venezuela and I am pleased to announce that by signing a 20-year strategic agreement, we can expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries.”

Zarepour further emphasized that a joint working group consisting of both countries' ministers' deputies can be formed to study the fields for cooperation and prepare a 20-year agreement in the ICT field. The Venezuelan ICT minister and Vice President, for their parts, stressed that it is very important for Caracas to expand strategic relations with Iran in all areas and said, "It comes as a surprise to us that Iran despite being under the toughest sanctions over the past 43 years (since the Islamic Revolution in 1979) has been able to achieve very favorable progress and achievements in the fields of science and technology in particular."

Also, in the meeting, the ICT minister deputies of the two countries explained the areas for future cooperation and expressed hope that with the drafting and signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement in the near future, the two sides will see the development of relations in the ICT field. - Mehr