good news iran: Iran’s Yazd, Switzerland discuss expansion of cooperation

During the meeting, Yazd Province Governor-General Fatemi said that there was no negative background in the 100-year relationship between Iran and Switzerland, adding that Iranian people recognize Switzerland as an impartial and independent country in the international arena, with common grounds like trying to establish sustainable peace in the world.

Fatemi pointed to the province’s economic capacities, including in producing tiles and ceramics, textile and steel as well as the mining industry and geographical and historical characteristics and its tourism attractions, saying that Yazd Province possessed second place among Iranian provinces in greenhouse products, third place in pistachio and fourth place in pomegranate production.

He said that the province is ready for joint investment with Switzerland in building a 5-star desert hotel, an amusement park complex and ecotourism park as well as signing MoUs with Swiss EMPA and Basel University on fields like environment, haze, nano-science and monitoring environmental pollution.

Fatemi, then, proposed cooperation with Switzerland in tourism services, exchanging trainers in this field, handicrafts and decoration industry.

Referring to the recent developments in Afghanistan, he said that the province has been a big host of Afghan refugees as they constitute 10 percent of province’s population and Yazd is ready to cooperate with Switzerland on humanitarian aids, including education and sanitary.

Fatemi voiced readiness to sign MoUs on sisterhood between Yazd and Swiss cities of Geneva, Basel and Lausanne based on cultural, historical and economic commonalities.

ZZ/IRN84505059