TEHRAN The first Iranian researcher completing 100-day expedition to Antarctica on the occasion of the victory of Islamic Revolution (February 11), hoisting the banner of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the highest peak of the research region, returned home some time ago. The researcher, Mohammad Reza Shokri, who is a member of the naval biological group of Iran National Oceanology Center, told the TEHRAN TIMES that he set out for the Antarctica along with a group of Indian scientists on 24 December 1998. He touched on the achievements of the journey and said it was the first experience of an Iranian to visit the Antarctica aimed to cooperate with Indian university to conduct research on the rivers of the Antarctica. Water sampling dregs and planktons of the river and monitoring the birds and the sea mammals along the course of Mouris island as well as ice mountains and floating icebergs.

He deplored that the country does not allocate budget for such projects and expressed hope that after submitting his accounts to the Minister of Culture and Higher Education, the ministry will work out plans for implementation of such projects with long-term goals to trigger scientific competition. Shokri said 25 countries in the world have 46 station in the Antarctica, adding that unfortunately Iran has no station and expressed hope that greater attention will be paid to research works of this nature that enhances the spirit of cooperation among different countries.