IRNA � Iran has progressed in many scientific fields and no Arab country can rival it in science, said a professor from University of Sousse, Tunisia.

'None of Arab countries can coequal Iran in science and technology; Iran has drastically advanced in different fields while Arab countries are after their stability,' Monsef bin Abduljalil told IRNA.

Apart from its cultural and civilization characteristics, Iran has good experiences in different fields that can be useful for others.

Saying that due to Iran's stance in the region, it is of great importance to Tunisia, Abduljalil added, 'In regard with development, Tunisia is in transitional stage, and is really interested to use Iran's experiences in pure sciences, humanities, and cultural and technical issues.'

He said that the first problem is the language; teaching Farsi in Tunisia is an undeniable fact and the number of people interested in Farsi is increasing.

The other problem, he said, is the political alignments in the world; some countries are only interested in following the Western powers.

Abduljalil also said the other obstacle is 'The previous tyrannical governments tried to picture a false image of Iran; we still see some remnants of the thoughts in the country.'

'The negative advertisements are still seen in Arab countries; under the influence of such propaganda, some people think Iran is an extremist country, which is not the case.'

The interview was done on the sidelines of the third international scientific forum of Iran and Arab world, which will be held November 11-12.

Chancellors and representatives of 11 Iranian universities namely, Tehran University, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Alzahra University, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Imam Sadiq University, University of Islamic Sects, Kashan University, Shahid Beheshti University, together with Arab universities from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq attended the forum.