1st Iranian ocean liner launched in presence of president

– In a ceremony in the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the first home-made ocean liner cargo ship, ‘Iran Arak,’ was launched in this southern port city in Hormuzgan province Thursday morning.

The 32,000-metric ton liner is the first ship of its kind which is designed, built, tested, and completed by Iranian experts at the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO).

It is to head for open seas via the Persian Gulf waters for a navigation test later in the day.

The 16.50-meter high ship is 186.25 meters long and 29.80 meters wide with a maximum speed of 22 nautical miles per hour.

President Ahmadinejad arrived in Bandar Abbas Thursday morning accompanied by Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian to attend the ocean liner’s launching ceremony.

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