ROME -- Chancellor of the Florence-based European Academic Institute Antonio Zanardi Landi here on Thursday called for Iran's scientific cooperation with his institute in view of its regional and cultural status. Briefing Italian and foreign reporters on plans to inaugurate meditterranian course at the institute, Zanardi referred to a sisterhood accord reached between Iranian historical city of Isfahan and Florence recently and said that his insititute is ready to dispatch professors and students to Iran and exchange information with Iranian academic centers.

Zanardi, who was formerly Italy's consule general to Tehran, said that his institute's goals are based on Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's viewpoints on the necessity of cultural exchanges and dialog amongst civilizations. He also stressed the need for further cultural and scientific links between the mediterranian littoral states and Middle Eastern countries. He added that his insititute conduction of research on mediterranian aimed at discovering common bonds shared by Europe and the Meditteranean and Middle Eastern countries.

(IRNA)