Iranian Minister of Information and Communication Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi said Tehran is ready to upgrade cooperation with Serbia to a strategic level in an official meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Thursday.
In the meeting held within the framework of pursuing the Iranian government's technology
diplomacy and developing bilateral relations, Hashemi presented the official
message from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to his Serbian counterpart.
The ICT minister emphasized
prioritizing strengthening cooperation in the fields of communications,
information technology, modern technologies, and artificial intelligence.
"The Islamic
Republic of Iran and Serbia have strong relations for a long time. Today is an opportunity
to strengthen these bonds by enhancing the level of cooperation in various
fields, especially information technology, communications, and artificial
intelligence.”
He said Iran is
ready to take cooperation with Serbia to the highest level in the fields of
cyber security, e-government, digital infrastructure, data transfer, and the
like.
Hashemi added, “The
Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to take its cooperation with Serbia to a
strategic level by utilizing its capabilities in the fields of artificial
intelligence, 5G networks, digital infrastructure, and tech-based startups.
"We can take
great steps for the development of technology in the region by establishing
joint research laboratories and exchanging technical knowledge. Iran, with its
dynamic ecosystem of startups and knowledge-based companies, enjoys a high
capacity to participate in smart and digital transformation projects."
Hashemi said, “We
are ready to cooperate in the field of training specialized human resources and
transferring experiences in areas such as artificial intelligence and cyber security.
"We are
confident that by exchanging technical knowledge, holding joint meetings and
mutual support, we can realize our potential capacities for the sustainable
development of both countries."
The Serbian President
Vučić expressed his special gratitude for the message of the Iranian President
and said, "Please convey my warm greetings to His Excellency Dr. Pezeshkian,
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
"Iran is an
influential and important country in the Asia and Middle East region. Serbia
welcomes the development of relations with Tehran in all fields, especially in
the field of communications and information technology. I have instructed the
Minister of Information and Telecommunications to cooperate with Iran in areas
such as data transmission."
Vučić referred to Iran's
progress in the field of space communications, design, construction and launch
of measurement and telecommunications satellites to be commendable and welcomed
the transfer of Iran's experiences and technical knowledge.
The President of
Serbia pointed to Iran's capacity and facilities in establishing fiber optic
factories in some countries and called for the use of this capacity by the
Iranian ICT Ministry in Serbia.
The message of the
Iranian President submitted to his Serbian counterpart expressed Tehran's
readiness to cooperate and participate in the Expo 2027 Belgrade.
"I received
with appreciation the message of Your Excellency's invitation for Iran's participation
in Expo 2027 Belgrade. The Islamic Republic of Iran supported Belgrade's
candidacy in the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions,
confident in Serbia's competence to host this event, and now emphasizes its
readiness to cooperate with Serbia and actively participate in this
international event," read the message.
The Iranian
President emphasized in his message that Serbia's hosting of Expo 2027 will
strengthen regional solidarity and the progress of the Western Balkans.
Iran had supported
Belgrade's candidacy to host this event during voting of the General Assembly
of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).