TEHRAN (Iran News) – Vice President and Secretary of High Council for Free Trade-Industrial and Special Economic Zones Mr. Saeed Mohammad in meeting with Minister of Sport and Youth Mr. Hamid Sajjadi said the Soccer World Cup is both an important sport and economic event and Iran is pursuing sport diplomacy.
Speaking during a ceremony for signing MoU on cooperation between the Council and ministry of sport and youth, Mohammad said that the government does not look at free zones as a mere economic issue but it wants free zones to be pioneer and front-runner in the cultural, social and tourism issues.
He went on to say that there are good capacities in the free zones of the country and the council is trying to activate them, adding that considering high capacities and potentials of the free zones in the border provinces and their connections with other neighboring states, the council intends to pursue the sport diplomacy under the economic diplomacy category in the free zones.
Mohammad then added that all existing capacities of the free zones should be used for all sectors in the country and it welcomes the involvement of the ministry of sport and youth in different sections of the free zones because it is a bridge for more connection between sport and the young community. He noted that all sport facilities in the free zones should be used at most to support the improvement of sport in the country.
He reiterated that this cooperation will not be limited only to soccer and the council will expand it to other fields of sport and it is ready to support other sport teams and athletes.
Touching upon the 2020 Soccer World Cup in Qatar, he said that it was better this issue to be pursued four years ago by Iran’s football federation but today with a four-year delay, the country is to pursue it in a short time because the Soccer World Cup is a sport event which is taken place every four years and it is both an important sport and economic event and Iran should make the most out of this big event.
He went on to say that the council is trying to compensate the past through close cooperation with the ministry and federation to have more coordination. He added that based on the signed MoU with the ministry, it was decided all sport facilities on Kish and Qeshm islands to be at the services of the football federation, adding that all facilities of the zones will be provided to Iran’s national soccer team.
He also said that fans of other participating teams in Qatar Soccer World Cup can also enjoy staying and visiting Iran’s free zones during this event.
Then Minister of Youth and Sport Sajjadi, for his part, said that this meeting and MoU will be a turning point in the history of sport on the country. He added that based on the MoU, required facilities for Iran’s national team and its supporters will be provided and supporters of other countries can also take advantage of the facilities of these zones.
