In a meeting with with the head of the Austrian Red Cross (ARC) on Saturday, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) explored avenues of expanding cooperation. Seyed Amir Mohsen Ziaei and Gerald Schopfer signed two MoUs, Mehr News Agency reported. At Schopfer’s request, Ziaei expressed IRCS readiness to assist Austria in the field of improving the conditions of migrants by sharing experience in refugee affairs, given that Iran has hosted millions of refugees, mostly Afghans, for more than three decades. Thousands of migrants from the Middle East arrived en masse last September in Austria and other European countries, following the escalation of conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Noting that over 10% of his country’s 8.5 million population are members of ARC, Schopfer said the two sides could use each other’s experience.
