Iran FM to attend BSEC meeting

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has left Tehran to attend a meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) in Bulgaria.

Mottaki will deliver a speech at the one-day meeting on Friday.

With twelve member states, the BSEC region covers the territories of the Black Sea littoral states, the Balkans and the Caucasus. It represents one of the world’s largest proven resources of oil and natural gas.

The organization granted Iran partnership status on sectoral dialogue in April 2009 as part of the plan to promote ties with third parties interested in cooperation on various issues of mutual concern.

The status will allow Iran to take part in the organization’s working groups and other high-level meetings dealing with trade, banking, energy, transportation, agriculture, health, the environment and tourism.