TEHRAN -- Iran and Pakistan have planned to sign an ecotourism accord, Iran’s Department of Environment (DoE) chief Javadi told IRNA on Monday.

The draft of the agreement was inked by Mrs. Javadi and Pakistan’s environment minister early summer this year. “The agreement is aimed to be developed into a convention,” Javadi added, noting that Iran had previously informed the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) of the issue.

The MOU includes activities that can protect the Oman Sea environment. The two sides will cooperate in cleanup operations that may be caused by oil slicks or heavy ship traffic. “Pakistan is not a member of the ROPME (Regional Organization for Protection of Marine Environment) Sea Area, but it can help clean up polluted areas of the sea, whether in their own territory or in parts that are shared by the two countries,” she pointed out, adding this would help both promote ecotourism in the region and attract more foreign tourists.

ROPME Sea Area is the area surrounded by the eight Member States of ROPME: Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The term "ROPME Sea Area" was coined by plenipotentiaries of the member states to achieve unanimity in denoting the area covered by the Kuwait Regional Convention of 1978.