TEHRAN – Belarusian Education Minister, Andrey Ivanets, in a talk with Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei-Sarraf has announced the Belarus willingness to promote scientific and educational ties with Iran.

During a phone call on Tuesday, Ivanets expressed solidarity with Iranians following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, and voiced Belarus readiness to expand cooperation with Iran through conducting joint research projects and exchanging students, IRNA reported.

The official invited Simaei-Sarraf to participate in the  tenth meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Education Ministers which is planned to be hosted by Belarus in June 2026. 
The official went on to say that he will attend the two ministries joint commission on technology and science, planned to be held in the near future.

For his part, Simaei-Sarraf welcomed the idea, noting that the two nations had not collaborated effectively in education sector.

Science minister proposed that on the sidelines of Iranian delegation attendance in tenth meeting of SCO Education Ministers, the two countries to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop scientific and technological collaborations.
Highlighting Iran’s scientific capacities, Simaei-Sarraf said Iran’s higher education system primarily focuses on the development of technology and innovation, noting that 160 science and technology parks are operating in the country, currently.

The official invited Ivanent to pay a visit to Iran and become more familiar with science and technology parks as well as universities, which will contribute to the enhancement of ties. 

Lauding Belarus expression of solidarity with Iran, Simaei-Sarraf said the aggressors did not only attack the country’s geographical, but scientific borders targeting research centers, laboratories, and universities.  

The official highlighted that attacks on scientific centers and educational institutions violate the International Humanitarian Law principle of distinction. He went on to propose the development of a joint document on safeguarding universities, higher education centers, and condemning any attack on science, scientists, and professors in the tenth meeting of SCO Science Ministers.

 Joint scientific committee

In 2025, Farhad Yazdandoost, an official with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, and Dmitry Koltsov, the Belarusian ambassador to Iran, agreed on establishing a joint scientific committee.

Highlighting cooperation opportunities in basic and applied sciences, including physics, chemistry, and advanced technologies, the Belarusian official welcomed the promotion of scientific collaborations with Iran.

He also pointed to the joint committee held in January 2024, which stressed fostering scientific and technological relations. The official went on to say that since 2016, the two countries have also agreed on mutually recognizing higher education degrees.

Referring to a memorandum of understanding on boosting technological cooperation signed by the two countries in 2023, the official further highlighted the need to expand scientific and technological collaborations. 

For his part, Yazdandoost said the significant progress of the Iranian private sector in cooperation with Belarus in various fields underscores the importance of developing cooperation among knowledge-based companies, start-ups, and biotechnology.

The official expressed optimism that scientific and academic interactions as well as collaborative partnerships among scientists and universities of the two sides boost, as well. 

During the meeting, held on February 26, the ministry of science announced readiness to act as an intermediary between the institutions of the two countries to facilitate their cooperation. 

Underscoring the significance of coordination between various ministries of the two countries in fostering relations, the officials agreed on cooperation among universities and government organizations. 

Meeting of Ministers of Education
The Meeting of Ministers of Education of the SCO Member States is a key mechanism for multilateral cooperation in education facilitating academic mobility, academic and educational exchanges, and joint educational initiatives.

Meetings of Ministers of Education of the SCO Member States have been held since 2012 at the initiative of the People’s Republic of China.

The legal framework for cooperation in education within the SCO includes the Agreement between the Governments of the SCO Member States on Cooperation in Education dated 15 June 2006, as well as the Memorandum of Cooperation between educational institutions of higher and secondary vocational training in culture and arts of the SCO Member States signed in Dushanbe on 17 September 2021.

On May 13, 2025, the 9th Meeting of Ministers of Education of the SCO Member States was held in Urumqi chaired by the People’s Republic of China. Following the meeting, a Protocol was signed; the document of the second meeting of the

Coordination Council of the SCO University was approved; a decision was taken to expand the list of core universities and fields of study; the accession of Belarus and Iran to the Agreement on the Functioning of the SCO University was endorsed; the SCO University Digital Education Development Plan was approved; and the programme of the 15th Education Without Borders Week to be hosted by Chinese universities was endorsed.

MT/MG