TEHRAN A one-day conference on "Investigating Developments of Iranian, Asian and the Pacific Cooperatives" held in Tehran here on Sunday discussed the ways of creating a common market between the three region's cooperatives.

During the conference, secretary general of Iran's Cooperatives Chamber represented a report on the development of the country's cooperatives as well as its role in the development of the cooperatives' activities. He said that before the Islamic Revolution, the cooperatives were active only in the agricultural and rural fields and under the governmental management.

He put the cooperatives' share in the national economy at 5 to 6 percent and predicted growth for them through their increasingly activities.

Considering a 20 percent share of the cooperatives' products in the country's non-oil exports, the official said that unfortunately most of the cooperatives' goods and services are exported by noncooperative units.

He expressed hope that through its comprehensive planning as well as the support of the Ministry of Cooperatives and the International Cooperatives Association (ICA), the chamber would establish an ICA's office in Tehran and embark on holding the First International Exhibition of Cooperatives Department and ICA members.