[caption id="attachment_129138" align="alignright" width="199"] Chancellor of the University of Tehran Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi[/caption]

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraq, Serbia, Somalia, and Belarus underlined Iran's eye-catching scientific progress, and said enhancement of academic cooperation with the country's universities stands atop the agenda of their higher-education systems.

The Iraqi, Serbian, Somali and Belarusian education ministers, who participated in the first ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members' science ministers in Tehran, held separated meetings with Chancellor of the University of Tehran Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi to voice their countries' enthusiasm for expansion of scientific cooperation and exchange of students and professors with Iran.


Nili Ahmadabadi, for his part, announced the readiness of the University of Tehran to expand scientific cooperation with friendly nations.


The First Meeting of the ministers of science, research and technology of NAM opened in Tehran in the presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday morning.


Over 60 science ministers took part in meeting on Monday and Tuesday.


Iran currently holds the rotating presidency of the NAM.


NAM is an international organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. NAM is the largest grouping of countries outside of the United Nations.


NAM member states represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations' members and comprise 55% of the world population, particularly countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World.


Iran received NAM rotating presidency at the opening ceremony of the NAM summit in Tehran on August 26, 2012 from Egypt for a period of three years.


By Fars News Agency