Dr. Sadigh Damghanizadeh Met with Mali's Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

At the start of this meeting, Mr. Seydou Koulibaly, Mali's Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his contentment with the meeting with the Iranian delegation: "We have seen a rapid development of mutual cooperation with Iran in recent years, and Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and some of his deputies visited our country a few months ago. We are very pleased to see that the cooperation between the two countries is developing in various fields," he said.

"Iran owns advanced technologies, and we are happy to host an Iranian delegation from ICT Park today," Mali's Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs added, referring to his visit to Iran.

Later, Dr. Mohammad Jafar Sadigh Damghanizadeh, the Advisor to the Minister and the President of ICT Park mentioned his negotiations with Mali's Ministry of Higher Education and Research officials regarding setting up an innovation center, as well as his extensive discussion with Malian universities; "based on the initial negotiations, it can be said that in addition to setting up an innovation center at Kabala University, it is also possible for us to create joint companies between ICT Park companies and the different teams that will be formed in Mali. Moreover, the private companies in ICT Park are also able to provide extensive support in various fields of technology, product development, and even launching joint production lines in Mali. At the same time, we are discussing this matter with Mali’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy," he said. 

Mr. Seydou Koulibaly, Mali's Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs, further pointed out the importance of setting up joint technology companies by the two countries: "During my trip to Iran and while visiting ICT Park, I realized that three factors are active in this matter: startups, research centers, and banks," he said. 

He also mentioned the existing potential’s of his country’s academia and research centers and also Iran's willingness to help develop technology in Mali: "In addition to welcoming these cooperations to resolve the financial burden caused by the development of technology and also to establish technology companies, we propose a tripartite collaboration with countries that are our friends so that we can receive financial support from them," he added,

"We have the idea of starting a tripartite collaboration because, within the framework of this tripartite cooperation, different affairs will be facilitated. For example, a third foreign country such as Qatar or another Persian Gulf country can provide financial support in the form of a loan, Iran shares its technology, and Mali benefits from this financial support and technology," he suggested. 

At the end of the meeting, he noted that if the relevant ministries in Mali, including the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, reach an agreement with Iran's ICT park regarding technology and digital activities, Mali's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ready to fully facilitate these cooperations both inside and outside the country.

It must be reminded that, in addition to ICT Park’s delegation, Mr. Mahmoud Mohammad, the Asia-Pacific Director-General of Mali's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Taleshi, Iran’s Ambassador in Bamako, were also present in this meeting. 

It is worth mentioning that, ICT Park’s delegation has already met with Mali’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister of Communications, Digital Economy, and State Modernization, and the President of the National Center for Scientific Research and Technology and visited the Kabala University Complex in Bamako, the College of Science and Technology, and the Institue of Applied Science in Mali.