Newly-elected Secretary General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation Ja’far Koushari and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed cooperation in the field of producing and exporting pharmaceuticals and financing economic projects.

During the meeting in Tehran, Zarif described D8 and its different untapped capacities for promoting cooperation as significant and voiced Iran’s readiness to boost collaboration with private sectors of D8 member states and sharing of expertise in scientific and technological fields.

Transfer of technology, cooperation in research and development, financing economic projects, chamber of barter trade and cooperation in the field of pharmaceutical production and exporting medicines were among the topics discussed at the meeting.

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is a grouping for development of cooperation among its member states, namely - Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey.

Meanwhile, the third edition of Iran’s International Exhibition for Metal Working (AMB Iran 2018) kicked off  at Shahr-e-Aftab International Exhibition Center in Tehran on 28 June.

Over 144 Iranian and foreign exhibitors from 14 different countries including Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, China, Japan, Czech Republic, Taiwan, Bulgaria and Russia have registered to participate in this year’s exhibition.

Iranian Deputy Industry Minister Reza Rahmani, Bulgaria’s ambassador in Tehran and Wilfried Schäfer, the executive director of the German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW), were among the officials who attended the opening ceremony.

Also, the General Assembly of the United Nations has elected Iran as a new member of UN Economic and Social Council.

UN Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran wrote on Wednesday that the General Assembly of the United Nations has elected 18 members of UN Economic and Social Council including Iran to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2019.

Those elected were Angola, Armenia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Islamic republic of Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Luxembourg, Mali, Netherlands, Pakistan, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and the United States.

The 18 outgoing members were Afghanistan, Algeria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Guyana, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Nigeria, Peru, Republic of Moldova, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, United States and Viet Nam.

The new members were elected according to the following pattern: Five from African States; four from Asia-Pacific States; two from Eastern European States; three from Latin American and Caribbean States; and four from Western European and other States.