The 13th Summit of leaders of APSCO kicked off in Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia on Thu.

In this summit, Iran Space Agency (ISA) called on leaders of APSCO to strengthen and enhance space cooperation and operational programs to thwart US sanctions.

In the inaugural ceremony of the Summit, Deputy Head of Iran Space Agency for Space Services and Applied Development Affairs Mohammad Mostafa Fotouhi, on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, submitted a comprehensive report on the latest programs and achievements of the Agency in a relevant field.

In a statement read by Iran Space Agency, in addition to condemn US anti-Iran moves in imposition of sanctions against three space institutes of the country, Iran called the US hostile move as an effort to deprive Iranian people of humanitarian applications of space technology and urged other APSCO members to support and strengthen operational programs of this regional Agency.

Last month, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) has granted funds to 37 Iranian aerospace students to attend specialized workshops on space technology in China, a senior official said.

Earlier, Iranian Space Agency (ISA) Director Morteza Barari said APSCO has provided several training courses on the latest space technologies, with the aim of fostering the capabilities of its member states in this regard.

APSCO is the second-largest multilateral and intergovernmental space organization after the United Nations’ ESA. It has eight permanent members including Iran, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mongolia, Peru, Thailand, and Turkey.