IRNA MD: Agency will develop media co-op with ECO members

Tehran, May 12, IRNA -- Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Ali Akbar Javanfekr, said on Tuesday that the agency will develop cooperation with the media of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states.

In a meeting with the head of ECO’s Cultural Institute, Hojjatollah Ayyoubi, he added that IRNA has plans to upgrade ties with news agencies of the member states.

Ayyoubi, for his part, said that the ECO members love Iran and Iranian culture.

“The institute has launched extensive programs to help ECO nations get acquainted with each others’ cultures. It inaugurated representative offices in Kabul and Dushanbe,” he said.

Describing IRNA's role as significant in re-opening the ECO News Agency (ECONA), he called on IRNA to run short- and long -term courses for the reporters of regional countries.

Javanfekr, who is also the press advisor to the president, voiced his news agency’s readiness to cooperate in this respect.

ECO is an inter-governmental organization involving seven Asian and three Eurasian nations. It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade, and investment opportunities.

The common objective is to establish a single market for goods and services, much like the European Union.

ECO's secretariat and cultural department are located in Tehran, its economic bureau is in Turkey and its scientific bureau is situated in Pakistan.

It was founded by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.

In the fall of 1992, it expanded to include seven new members, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan./end