Iran-UNICEF cooperation discussed

Tehran, April 6, IRNA, - UNICEF's new Representative to Iran Paul Hulshoff met here on Sunday with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and handed over a copy of his credentials to him.

According to the Information and Press Bureau of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, at the meeting, Mottaki said the status of UNIFCES is
well known in the world and ?We hope that the new UNICEF
representative will play a more active role in expanding cooperation
between the two sides.

Referring to Iran?s membership in UNICEF executive committee, he said
Iran became a member of UNICEF Executive Committee in 2005.

Iran welcomes expansion of cooperation with UNICEF in various fields
with an aim of reducing the damage caused by natural disasters and
upgrading the status of children, Mottaki said.

Referring to the destructive impacts of bombardment of children in
Gaza, he said ?We witnessed carnage of innocent people and children in
Gaza and believe that the savage atrocities of the Zionist regime
which used prohibited and destructive weapons would have destructive
consequences for the future generations and expect the international
organizations to seriously deal with such inhuman crimes.?


The UNICEF new representative, for his part, said Iran?s status at
international organizations is respectable adding that UNICEF has put
Iran on top of its priority in the Middle East region.

Hulshoff has come to Iran from UNICEF headquarters in New York, where
he served as the Chief of UNICEF?s recovery and risk reduction section
responsible for UNICEF?s strategic contributions to countries emerging
from man-made and natural disasters and for development of policies
and programs aiming to reduce social disparities and child poverty.

End