Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Mohammad Taghi Hosseini met with LI Yong, the director general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Vienna and elucidated Iran’s viewpoints on economic and industrial cooperation with the organization.
According to Mehr News Agency, Hosseini’s visit to Austria came at the invitation of UNIDO to attend the high-level meeting of the organization’s Industrial Development Board.
“In spite of western sanctions imposed against Iran over its nuclear energy program, the country has made progress in an assortment of fields,” said the deputy minister.
Hosseini also emphasized the vitality of UNIDO’s role in fostering sustainable technological development among the member states.
“UNIDO should uphold its professional status and prevent attempts to politicize the organization,” Hosseini noted.
Lauding Iran’s industrial and economic progress, Yong called for bolstering bilateral cooperation.
The organization’s ongoing projects in Iran as well as opportunities to expand ties with Iran were also surveyed during the meeting.
Some of the UNIDO projects implemented in Iran or currently under implementation include industrial clustering, modernization of dates processing and packaging, capacity building and technology management at enterprise level as well as projects pertaining to the Montreal Protocol, which is aimed at reducing ozone depleting substances.
UNIDO’s primary objective is the promotion and acceleration of industrial development in developing countries and countries with economies in transition and the promotion of international industrial cooperation.
