Iran, Austria explore disaster management

Head of National Disaster Management Organization of Iran and Austria’s envoy discussed ways of enhancing mutual cooperation on managing emergency situations ‘in pursuit of sustaining the 160-year-long relations’, AVA Diplomatic reports.

‘Using international experience and knowledge on the crisis management is the main strategy of the National Disaster Management Organization of Iran,’ Esmail Najjar, head of the Iranian organization said in a meeting with Stefan Scholz, the Austrian ambassador to Tehran, on Sunday.

Exchanging experience on disaster management, including damage and needs assessment, indentifying and prioritizing the needs, and facilitating dispatching rescue teams are among other grounds of mutual cooperation.

A table maneuver with participation of member countries of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) is among the plans scheduled to be done jointly, according to Najjar.

The Austrian ambassador, for his part, said that he believes meeting primary needs is the best way of providing humanitarian aid.

He also said that INSARAG comprised of disaster-prone and disaster-responding countries that are tasked to urban search and rescue (USAR) on disaster spot.

Announcing an imminent visit by an Austrian economic delegation to Iran to have tours in Iran’s fire department and National Iranian Gas Company, the ambassador called for boosting cooperation among related organizations of the two countries.