TEWHRAN- Second Iran-Japan Joint Conference on Water and Wastewater Industry opened on Saturday in Tehran in the presence of Iranian Deputy Minister of Energy Sattar Mahmoudi and Japanese Ambassador to Iran Hiroyasu Kobayashi.

As IRNA reported, Iranian private sector companies besides representative from nine Japanese companies such as Swing Corporation, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Kubota Corporation, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Rayon, Asahi and Toei are participating in the two-day event.

The conference aims at founding a permanent secretariat for joint cooperation on water and wastewater, introducing the capabilities of the nine Japanese companies participating in the event and having Iranian companies familiarized with them, attracting Japanese investors to Iranian water projects on the way to transfer knowledge and implementing joint projects, developing desalination systems, improving wastewater treatment plants, localizing Japanese companies’ advanced technologies in Iran, improving Iranian managers and experts' knowledge by holding training courses and etc.

In February, Japan and Iran signed a bilateral investment pact in a bid to give Japanese firms an edge in the global rush for access to the resource-rich nation.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida signed the pact with Iran’s visiting Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayyebnia during a ceremony in Tokyo.

The signing comes after Tokyo lifted sanctions on Iran last month following confirmation by a U.N. nuclear watchdog that Tehran had implemented measures promised under a landmark nuclear deal it struck with six major powers in July.

HJ/MA