TEHRAN - Head of Iran’s Department of Environment, Masoumeh Ebtekar, has said that Iran welcomes international investment in clean technology to counter climate change and other environmental challenges.

During her speech at the Global Cleantech Summit in Helsinki on Tuesday, Ebtekar elaborated on diversity of Iran’s nature, actions taken by the country to reduce air pollution and revive Lake Uremia, optimal use of energy, conservation of endangered species and improvement of soil quality.

She also said, “International interaction in state and private sectors bear the message of peace and hope and such cooperation are considered good response to extremism and terrorism.”

Finnish Economy Minister Olli Rehn, Finnish Agriculture Minister Kimmo Tiilikainen and the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka took part in the panel discussions.

In the meeting with Rehn, Ebtekar called for cooperation for protection of environment. Rehn said Finnish corporations are ready to do activities in Iran.

He described nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) as a “historic” agreement and expressed hope that Iran’s relations with the international community would expand.

NA/PA