Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

An Iranian official says the cabinet is seeking to get closer to different ethnic groups across the country.

Special assistant to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, to this end, some plans are under consideration to hold special language courses for different ethnic groups in the country.

Speaking in Iran's Ahvaz city, Ali Yunesi said several meetings had been held with officials from the Ministries of Education and Development and the issue is currently being assessed.

Yunesi didn't reveal any details on how the courses are going to be held or which specific groups would receive the education courses.

In a decree issued in October 2013, Rouhani appointed Yunesi as the special aide for the affairs of ethnic groups and religious minorities. Younesi was intelligence minister in previous cabinet.

It was the first time an Iranian president appoints an aide for the affairs of ethnic groups and religious minorities.

It should be noted that in June 2013, Hassan Rouhani published a statement on the subject of teaching the ethnic mother tongue of Iranians (Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Arab, etc.), officially emphasizing on his intention to fully implement Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution on teaching the mother tongues at schools and universities.

Also, in November, governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province Esmaeil Jabbarzadeh said an Azerbaijani language academy will be established in Iran.

Jabbarzadeh said he was tasked to establish the Academy of Azerbaijani Language and Literature.

He said Rouhani had made a promise about establishing an Azerbaijani language and literature academy, saying he would try to realize that promise.

Millions of Iran's ethnic Azerbaijanis do not have the right to study in their mother tongue.

The population of the four Azerbaijani-inhabited provinces (Eastern and Western Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan) amount to 10 million, with a few million ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Gilan and Khorasan provinces, Tehran and other cities.

According to some sources, it is estimated that over 13 million Azerbaijanis live in Iran. Other sources put the number at over 18 and 24 million.