TEHRAN -- Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Tahmasb Mazaheri described research works by young scholars as a national asset which can serve as a basis for self-assessment and a guideline for channeling state policy on the right track, IRNA reported.

In a meeting with a number of young scholars, he said that manpower trained under such systems are more apt to bring about economic turnabout. Pointing to the goals of young scholars to create jobs, he said, "relative improvement in various sectors including creation of new jobs, export/import regulations, inflation rate and taxation system are evidence to the growing trend of these indices and the overall betterment of the national economy."

He added, however, that despite all these developments, it is still too soon to admit that the current situation is favorable.

At the meeting, Mehdi Sahra'ian, the author of the production doctrine and the selected economist of 2001-2002, welcomed the opportunity to cooperate with the government and declared the readiness of young scholars to participate in research activities and making ongoing projects operational.