is Excellency Engineer Taghipour, Honorable Minister for Communications and Information Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran
His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Hasan Mohebbian, Chairman of the Board & Managing Director the Post of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great privilege for me to participate in the "ECO Workshop on Privatization and Cost Pricing. I would like to thank the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular the Iranian Post Company for hosting this important meeting. I thank the distinguished representatives of the ECO member states for their participation in this important event. I am confident that during this important workshop we will hold focused and productive deliberations.
Excellencies,
The ECO region is of immense opportunities. Our strategic location gives us a head-start in many fields. We have a land mass of 8 million square kilometers. We have a combined population almost equivalent to that of Europe. Our aggregate GDP, according to IMF, exceeds US$ 1 trillion. We have an average growth rate of 6.5 percent. Our global trade amounted to US$ 585 billion last year. Our intra-regional trade was worth $ 38 billion.
The ECO countries continue to have one of the largest postal distribution networks. In 2007, some 150,000 postal employees served in more than 40,000 permanent post offices in the ECO countries. They processed 2.7 billion letter-post items every year. And this excludes registered items and newspapers. Four years earlier, in 2003, around 2.1 billion letter-post items were delivered by 140,000 postal employees, working in 35,600 permanent post offices. These figures from the UPU show a considerable growth in operation and coverage of the postal networks of the member states and attest to the fact that the postal networks have remained as viable and reliable means of exchanging information.
There have also been unparalleled changes occurred by the development of electronic communication technology. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has a significant role in shaping ways, in transforming ways in which people interact. ICT’s application is growing fast in our region. The majority of the postal administration of the ECO countries offered public internet access in 2007. While none of them offered online track and trace service in 2003, most of them do it at present. Still, there is more ground to cover.
The ECO postal website launched two years ago offers useful information to visitors and thousands visit it every year. We are working to improve it, to update it on a regular basis. The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the coordinator for the website, has already initiated action. It is indeed appreciable. I am sure that this website would become a powerful platform for exchange of information among a wide range of clients.
Honorable Minister,
Distinguished delegates,
The 5th Meeting of the ECO Postal Authorities, held in Islamabad, on June 22-23, 2009, took decisions on a range of subjects, including enhancement of the role of the private sector, development of postal financial services, postal training and capacity building, issuance of Common Stamps, ECO Postman Fast Walking Competition, and enhancement of cooperation with international postal institutions. Our heads of postal administrations agreed to issue a Common Stamp on the occasion of the 11th ECO Summit, as it was done for the 10th ECO Summit in 2009. The Meeting designated Istanbul airport in Turkey and Imam Khomeini airport in Iran as regional hubs for postal transit in the region. It was also agreed that an ECO contact group be convened on the sidelines of UPU meetings. It would be hosted and chaired by the country chairing the COM Meeting.
In October 2009, the postal companies of the ECO member states held yet another successful meeting in Ankara. The “ECO Workshop on Establishing Linkages between Postal Financial Services” reviewed different options for facilitating money transfer between the member states through postal services. As you may recall, the existing money transfer systems are largely managed and controlled by countries outside the ECO region. But I am happy to state that for the first time a robust system developed by one of the ECO Member States was presented in that workshop. We as the ECO Secretariat are currently in close contact with all the member states to conduct the required tests and demonstration application of the system. As the first step a video-conference is being scheduled for March 2010 between the financial postal services of the member states.
The 6th meeting of ECO postal authorities will be held in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2010. I take this opportunity to invite you all to that important meeting as well.
Dear participants,
In November 2008, the ECO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Universal Postal Union (UPU). This MoU provides for preparation and implementation of joint cooperation projects. It covers organizing technical meetings to strengthen and improve the working of ECO’s postal sectors.
In conclusion, Excellencies, I would emphasize that transport, communication and postal cooperation are areas of increasing significance. Postal cooperation has already gained a good momentum in the region, but we have space for further progress. This workshop offers a very welcome opportunity to move in that direction. I am sure that our deliberations today will yield the desired results.
Once again I would like to thank the Government of Islamic Republic of Iran, my brother His Excellency Engineer Taghipour, and Dr. Mohebbian the Chairman of the Post Company of Iran for active support and generous hospitality extended to the participants. I wish this workshop and all the distinguished delegates a total success.
I thank you, Sir.
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