Iran steps up technology cooperation with Qatar, Russia and Brazil
Initial understanding reached with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan on digital corridor
Iran is seeking to deepen cooperation with Qatar, Russia and Brazil in telecommunications, digital technologies, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, while also reaching an initial understanding with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on establishing a regional digital corridor linking Central Asia to the Persian Gulf, the Communications Ministry reported.
On the sidelines of the 2026 Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Doha, Communications and Information Technology Minister Sattar Hashemi met his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation in information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and smart government.
The two ministers also emphasized the need to develop an implementation framework to follow up on the proposed areas of cooperation. Hashemi thanked Qatar for hosting the conference and stressed the importance of preserving the ITU’s technical and non-political character. He also expressed Iran’s support for Qatar’s candidacy for membership in the ITU Council and called on the Qatari delegation to support Iran’s proposed documents and resolutions at the conference, the ministry said.
In a separate meeting with Grigory Borisenko, Russia’s deputy minister of digital development, communications and mass media, the two sides focused on specialized cooperation and preparations for the sixth meeting of their joint working group, planned for the first quarter of 2027.
Iran proposed holding a specialized forum involving technology companies from both countries, exploring the establishment of a joint technology park and expanding cooperation in cybersecurity. Russia welcomed the proposals, the ministry said.
Hashemi also met Carlos Manuel Baigori, head of Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, to discuss cooperation in telecommunications infrastructure, fiber-optic networks, data centers, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Their talks also covered academic and university cooperation, exchanges of expertise, joint research, space technology and satellite applications, as well as stronger links between the two countries’ private sectors and technology companies. Hashemi invited Baigori to visit Tehran and the Communications and IT Research Institute. Brazil welcomed the prospect of expanding bilateral cooperation, the ministry said.
Iran also reached an initial understanding with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on establishing a digital corridor connecting Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and neighboring countries.
The understanding was reached at a meeting between Hashemi, Turkmenistan Communications Minister Haji Murad Khudaigulyev and Doszhan Musaliyev, Kazakhstan’s deputy minister of artificial intelligence and digital development.
The three countries are expected to discuss the details in further negotiations and finalize an agreement in the near future, the ministry said. The proposed corridor is intended to develop regional communications routes, increase connectivity capacity, strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and improve the resilience of digital services. It is also expected to facilitate data exchanges between Central Asia, the Persian Gulf and neighboring countries.
The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, the union’s highest decision-making and policy-setting body, is being held in Doha, Qatar, from Nov. 9 to 27, 2026. Convened every four years, the conference brings together representatives of member states to set the organization’s future strategies and priorities.