Minister: Iran willing to help development of sport in Indonesia

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mahmoud Goudarzi said in a meeting with Indonesian ambassador to Tehran that Iran is willing to help development of sport in Indonesia, AVA Diplomatic reports.

Goudarzi said that policy of government of President Hassan Rouhani is to establish good relations with most world countries and sport is one of the means to strengthen ties between different nations.

He said that relations with Indonesia is important for Iran and that there are a lot of commonalties between the two nations either religious or cultural and political.

The minister underlined strengthening relations between Iran and Indonesia and said that Indonesia has good potentials in sport, which can be developed by good interaction with countries with cultural and religious commonalties.

‘We can implement formerly signed MoUs, he stressed.

Iran is a country with high level universities, Goudarzi said, reputable sport colleges there exist in Iran which would serve as an appropriate ground for exchanging professors, students, athletes and champions.

Indonesian Ambassador to Tehran Dian Wirengjurit said that the two countries have very friendly relations and good cooperation in all fields, especially in international organizations.

He said that Indonesia is fully aware about Iran’s sport abilities and capacities at global level, but, unfortunately Indonesia lost the opportunity, because those responsible for sport in Indonesia were looking to interact with the west.

We dispatched many athletes to the US, China, Japan and even Dubai which cost a lot for Indonesia, but since last October the new president helped change the outlook.

Wirengjurit said that he reported to Indonesian Sport Minister about progress Iran has made in sports and asked him to visit Iran to witness the progress closely.