By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : The 15th annual conference on Central Asia and Caucasus is to be held in Tehran from Oct 29-30, director of Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of Iran’s Foreign Ministry said.
Speaking to IRNA on Saturday, Rasoul Mousavi added that the main objective of the conference is to study the NATO expansion in Eurasia and its effects on the region.
Mousavi said that in the past NATO was in Iran’s neighbourhood through Turkey, but at present NATO is present in Afghanistan and performs military operations.
He added NATO has signed strategic pact with Pakistan, is present in Iraq, holds joint military exercises in the Persian Gulf with the littoral states and is expanding towards Caucasus and Central Asia.
He noted that Iran’s cooperation with NATO could have positive effects in the field of security as well as other sectors.
Mousavi said that studying the effects of NATO expansion in that region as well as Iran’s national security is one of the main objectives of the conference.
The two-day gathering will also survey subjects such as reasons and goals of NATO expansion in Eurasia, political and security dimensions and consequences of NATO expansion in the region.
Other topics of the conference include NATO approach towards security organizations in Asia and Eurasia region, NATO and energy security in the region, challenges and perspectives of NATO presence in Afghanistan, approach of regional states towards NATO expansion and NATO and Iran’s security environment.