TEHRAN Vice-President and Head of the Environmental Protection Organization (EPO) Masoomeh Ebtekar said here on Sunday that Iran and Sweden are to launch cooperation this month to fight air pollution in major Iranian cities. Ebtekar further told IRNA that to this end, Iran and Sweden are to exchange experts within the coming days to design and set up a gas control center in Tehran. She said her last week's visit to Sweden at the invitation of her Swedish counterpart was highly important and successful considering the role of Iran as Chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Ebtekar said that she and the Vice-Speaker of Swedish Parliament in their meeting exchanged views on human rights, especially women's rights in Iran. She added that she had stressed Iran's principled stances towards the issues, especially the stances of President Mohammad Khatami's administration.

She said that she and the Swedish environmental protection minister had discussed exchange of technical and scientific expertise, implementation of joint projects, transfer of environmental technology and arrangement of training classes. She added that Iran and Sweden are to excange information on prevention of water and soil pollution, and on sewage and industrial wastes control management within framework of a joint program.

Ebtekar said that she and member of Swedish Parliament's Agriculture and Environment Commission had reviewed latest developments and achievements in the field of environment as well as law and regulations concerning the issue. (IRNA)