Iran, Uzbekistan ministers discuss sports cooperation

The agreement was made on the sidelines of the 7th International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VII) in Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday.

Referring to the commonalities of the two countries of Iran and Uzbekistan in different sectors, the Iranian minister appreciated Uzbekistan’s hosting of the Iranian national football team in the 2023 CAFA Nations Cup.

Expressing happiness over the recent visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Iran, Sajjadi said, “We can deepen these interactions in common areas.”

According to the Iranian minister, Iran and Uzbekistan can expand their relations to water sports, boxing, shooting, wushu, weightlifting and football.

Pointing  to the the Islamic Republic of Iran’s plan to develop women’s sports, Sajjadi added, “Over the past years, many programs have been carried out to expand women’s sports in Iran, so that Iranian women can show their abilities to the world while observing religious and Islamic values.”

Adkham Ikramov, for his part, expressed hope to cooperate and interact with Iran at higher levels such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in common fields.

“Iran and Uzbekistan can expand sports relations and interactions in the form of a joint memorandum of understanding, and we fully welcome this issue,” he pointed out.

According to the Uzbek minister, Tashkent can have more connections with Iran in the field of handball, volleyball and basketball.

He also expressed readiness to share facilities and experiences with Iran in judo, boxing and taekwondo.

SKH/5820558