TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Iran's Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian underlined that closer cooperation with Italy in the area of environmental protection can be helpful in resolving the country's problems in this area.

"Environmental problems in most countries are similar and using the experiences of Italy will be useful for resolving Iran's environmental problems," Chitchian told reporters after his Monday meeting with Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti in Tehran.

Referring to the meeting, he said the two sides agreed that research institutions from Iran and Italy hold symposiums on environment protection to pave the way for closer cooperation in this area.

The Iranian energy minister added that the long-lasting collaborations between the two countries in various fields provide grounds for success of mutual cooperation in the area of environmental protection.

In a meeting earlier on Sunday, Galletti and Masoumeh Ebtekar, who heads Iran's Environmental Protection Organization (IEPO), stressed the need for boosting Tehran-Rome cooperation in various environmental fields.

In her remarks, Ebtekar pointed to the upcoming Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy, and expressed the hope that the international event will provide an opportunity for the two countries to exchange information and experiences in the area of environment.

By Tasnim News Agency