Iran and China survey ground for aerospace cooperation

Islamic Republic News Agency:

Visiting Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister Seyed Ahmad Mo'tamedi met and conferred with head of China's Aerospace Organization Sun Lee Yan in Beijing on Friday.

Mo'tamedi who has arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit earlier Friday, said during the meeting that Iran's joint satellite project with China and Thailand is on the top of his agenda for talks with Chinese officials. READ MORE

He said, "Despite the fact that Iran's Aerospace Organization is a relatively newly established institute, it has the tough task of designing and manufacturing research satellites at the top of its priorities and that is a field in which we can have broad cooperation with our Chinese partners."

He considered the joint trilateral satellite project among Iran, China, and Thailand, as a "prelude to Tehran-Beijing broad-scale aerospace cooperation," asking for expansion of the dimensions of such joint activities.

He said, "Iran is also willing to launch a regional research cooperation with China that can be focussed around the axes of designing and launching satellites for long distance surveillance, subterranean resources, agrometeorology, and aerospace training in both countries' universities in the framework of the BOAO Forum for Asia (BFA).

According to the head of Iran's Aerospace Organization, Iran is seriously pursuing its space engineering activities and "Cooperation with China, a country with valuable experience in the field, is of utmost importance for Tehran."

Head of China's Aerospace Organization Sun Lee Yan, too, during the meeting referred to last year's trip of Iran's deputy Communications and Information Technology Minister and head of the country's Aerospace Organization at the time, Seyed Hassan Shafti to China, arguing, "The level of Beijing-Tehran cooperation in manufacturing a small satellite is quite satisfactory for China." Iran's Aerospace Organization's first practical move following its establishment in the year 2000, has been getting engaged in designing and manufacturing of a small multi-mission satellite (SMMS) in the framework of a pact signed with China and Thailand, that would be launched by 2006.

The Chinese official said, "The Iranian and chinese officials have proceeded satisfactorily in various phases of designing and manufacturing that SMMS, and beijing is quite please with the cooperation."

He added, "China relies on its fifty-year endeavor in aerospace engineering, during which we have gained valuable experience in designing, manufacturing, and launching satellites, and is now ready to cooperate with Iran in the fields of research, agrometeorology, and surveillance satellites."

Sun Lee Yan, emphasizing Beijing's will to continue bilateral aerospace activities with Tehran, said, "China can also cooperate with Iran in training the expert personnel needed in aerospace engineering."

Iran started its scientific aerospace cooperation with China, one of the world's poles in aerospace technology, following the establishment of its Aerospace Organization in 2000, that is a state body, functioning under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

China has successfully launched forty satellites and airships ever since 1996 and is planning to launch over 100 more scientific, research and surveillance satellites by the year 2020.