Min. regrets failure to attend Sustainable Transportation Conference

EghtesadOnline: Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi said on Saturday that he had failed to attend Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, following train collision in Semnan.

News ID: ۷۷۱۶۸۷

27 November 2016

In separate letters to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday, Akhoundi said following the train collision in Semnan, he had to cancel the trip in a bid to probe into the incident.
Two passenger trains collided in Semnan province on Friday morning, leaving 45 dead and 103 others injured, according to IRNA.
Following the incident, Akhundi cancelled his visit to Turkmenistan and flew to site of the incident.
'I was due to attend the important conference on behalf of President Hassan Rouhani,' Akhundi wrote to President Berdimuhamedow.
'However, unfortunately the sad train collision made it impossible for me to attend the meeting.'
Akhundi appreciated the organizers for holding such internationally important conference in Ashgabat and conveyed greetings of President Rouhani to his Turkmen counterpart.
He expressed sorrow for failing to share his views with other participants.