TEHRAN, May 17 (Bernama) -- The deputy science, research and technology minister for international affairs underlined the development of Tehran-Tunis scientific and academic cooperation, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

In a meeting with the new ambassador of Tunisia to Iran, Arsalan Qorbani congratulated the successful holding of parliamentary elections in the country.

Referring to the crucial role of people in determining their fate and institutionalising the public opinion in the new Tunisia, he noted that Tunisia was the starting point of Islamic awakening movement in the Arab states in the third millennium.

Explaining Iran's scientific status in the region, he voiced his country's readiness to develop mutual cooperation in various areas such as increasing scholarships, establishment of technical and scientific committee and dispatching Persian language instructors to Tunisia.

The Tunisian envoy, Mohammad al-Hasayeri, for his part, hailed Iran's achievements despite facing various sanctions and underlined the need to use the two countries' capacities in all fields such as higher education.

He welcomed Qorbani's proposal to set up Iran-Tunisia Scientific and Technical Committee and said the Tunisian higher education and scientific research minister would visit Tehran in a bid to explore avenues for developing mutual cooperation.

-- BERNAMA