Lebanon’s Education Minister Elias Bou Saab stressed the need for science and technology cooperation with Iran during meetings Monday on the sideline of a ministerial conference in Tehran.

Lebanon's Education Minister Elias Bou Saab stressed the need for science and technology cooperation with Iran during meetings Monday on the sideline of a ministerial conference in Tehran, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The NNA said Bou Saab stressed the "importance of (Iranian) President Sheikh (Hassan) Rouhani's proposal to establish a center for scientific and technological cooperation."

During meetings he held with ministers and officials among the participants of Non-Aligned Movement member states who took part in the conference, which got underway Monday in Tehran, Bou Saab indicated that "Lebanon will benefit from this center and would enhance research cooperation among [NAM] countries."

In his speech at the conference, Sheikh Rouhani has proposed the creation of a center for scientific, technological and innovation cooperation among the 58 countries and international bodies that make the Non-Aligned Movement.

He also stressed that scientific and technological cooperation would serve the ultimate purpose of NAM, which he said is the establishment of peace, tranquility and equality among all states.

Bou Saab also discussed educational cooperation with Mohammad Farhadi, head of NAM ministers of technology.

"We talked about educational and academic cooperation and exchange of students and professors, particularly since there are scientific cooperation agreements at the Lebanese University and the Ministry of Education levels signed between Lebanon and Iran," the NNA quoted Bou Saab as saying.

He also expressed his "readiness to enhance and activate these agreements for the benefit of the two countries."