TEHRAN — The Latvian foreign ministry’s state secretary on a working visit to Tehran discussed closer bilateral scientific and technological cooperation with Iranian officials, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

As part of his visit, Andrejs Pildegovics held talks with the Iranian deputy science minister for international affairs, Hossein Salar-Amoli. The two sides negotiated the possibility of signing memorandums of understanding between the ministries of education of both countries with the view to expanding cooperation between Latvian and Iranian higher education institutions.

Besides, the Iranian official expressed his support for teaching Farsi language at the Department of Asian Studies of the University of Latvia.

Initiating student exchange programs, offering scholarships, designing courses on Islamic arts and studying Iran are of the other fields Iran and Latvia are interested to work on.

At the Ministry of Agriculture, the Latvian official voiced his interest in joint activities in the agricultural and forestry sectors, while officials of the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development were interested in the use of Latvia’s railway network and international transport links with Latvia.

The Latvian delegation also included the State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Kaspars Ozolins; President of Latvijas Dzelzcels, a state-owned railway company, Edvins Berzins; Chairman of the Board of LDZ Logistika, Verners Lusis; and President of Latvijas Valsts mezi, a state-owned forest company, Roberts Stripnieks.

MQ/MG