Regional Cooperation Meeting 2019

Deputy ministers from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Republic of Azerbaijan and Iraq are taking part in the 'Regional Cooperation Meeting 2019' in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Iran Press/Asia: Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Hossein Zolfaqari is representing Iran in the two-day conference.

The officials are discussing illegal migration, drug trafficking and organised crime among other topics, IRNA reported.

"This meeting sends a message of hope to all countries,” said Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, adding that Middle Eastern countries, with a total population of 470 million people, are home to half of the world’s energy resources.

“The US gets 25% of its oil from the region. Many countries look at this region for energy. Unfortunately, poverty, terrorism, violence and migration are the cliches about the Middle East. The West uses this region politically and economically and damages all the world,” he added.  

The Turkish official urged better governance in the Middle East to address the current situations.

There are 158 million refugees in the world with Iran, Turkey and the whole Middle East as the hotspots for this migration.  101/211/205

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