TEHRAN — Ten marriage counselling centers will be set up in each province of Iran by March 20, 2017, an official with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs said on Tuesday.

Nasser Sobhi-Qaramaleki made the remarks over a press conference with Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mahmoud Goudarzi in attendance, IRIB reported.

“16 provinces of Iran are currently deprived of any marriage counselling services,” Sobhi-Qaramaleki explained, adding, “earlier we had made arrangements to designate two centers to each province but considering the current trend 10 counselling centers will be licensed to operate in all provinces by the end of the year.”

Some 60 marriage counselling centers are also awaiting legal processes and will soon obtain their license, he noted, “1,809 centers have applied for license and we are following up on 257 of the applications in the private sector.”

MQ/MG