Page 40 - IRANRptJun22

The Iranian official noted that Iran is preparing to align its economy and increase its interactions with other parties of the organisation.
Iran Customs Administration announced last month that the volume of trade between Iran and the SCO has grown to over $37bln in the past Iranian year (ended on March 20).
Bilateral trade between Iran and the SCO members last year was equal to 54,856,000 tonnes of goods, valued at 37.168bn.
Total imports from the SCO weighed 9,507,000 tonnes, worth $16.572, marking a 24% increase y/y, Iran Customs Administration noted.
China, Afghanistan (which has observer SCO status), and India were the top three SCO importers of Iranian goods last year, he added.
The SCO is a transcontinental political, economic, security, and military alliance, comprising China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan,Uzbekistan and Iran.
7.1 Cryptocurrency
Iran to hold international conference on metaverse
Iran, Azerbaijan to cooperate in blockchain
The first Iranian international conference on the metaverse, “Metarad”, is to be held on June 20 in Tehran, IRNA reported on June 1, citing the head of the Iran Labour Centre (ILC).
Iran is widely viewed as extremely advanced in metaverse development. Large contingents of Iranians work in the sector, using cryptocurrencies to earn an income from it, thus dodging US sanctions.
The metaverse is an iteration of the internet as a single, universal and immersive virtual world facilitated with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR), multisensory extended reality and simulated reality. It is made up of 3D virtual worlds.
ILC director Saeed Samiei was reported as saying: “A first specialised and international scientific conference on metadata - the digital economy, value code, money code, the metaverse and blockchain - will be held on June 20 in Tehran.
"Due to the successful holding of a first Metarad exhibition event at the Tehran International Exhibition Centre, it was decided to hold the first Metarad International Conference."
Noting that the chairman of the policy council for the event, Asghar Jahangir, is deputy minister of social affairs and crime prevention, Samiei added: "The holding of specialised scientific panels with reputable scientific and executive organisations, institutions and institutes will be one of the main features of this international event."
Iran and Azerbaijan are set to cooperate in blockchain technology, Ali Zanjani, CEO of Iran's Blockchain House, told APA on May 30.
Iran has become a leading nation in developing cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in part to dodge US sanctions that target Iranian financial transactions.
Zanjani was reported as saying there were great opportunities for cooperation
40 IRAN Country Report June 2022 www.intellinews.com