President Urges Hostile Gov’ts to Lift Medicine Sanctions
IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK
TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani has urged the hostile governments who have offered to help Iran in the fight against coronavirus to remove the sanctions on the medicine and foodstuff on the first hand if they are honest about assisting the Iranian people.
Addressing a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, President Rouhani said the governments that have imposed sanctions on the delivery of medicine and foodstuff to Iran and have felt no compunction about harming the Iranian nation over the past two years have now emerged “under the mask of sympathy” and pretend to be interested in helping the people of Iran.
“If you are really telling the truth, you ought to lift at least the medicine sanctions. This is the first step,” the president told the hostile countries offering help in the battle with COVID-19.
“You should say ‘we have been wrong about the Iranian nation so far and have made mistakes and we apologize, and our first step is that the banking activities for the purchase of medicine, transportation of medicine and shipping activities in this regard and the (delivery of) foodstuff for people will be free and we would not take any action against them, and we have lifted this sanction against the people’”, President Rouhani told the governments that have slapped Iran with sanctions.
He further noted that people of Iran are well aware that the enemies are lying.
“I should here thank all of the governments and countries that have assisted us in the fight against this virus, or are ready to help us, have sent equipment, and are again ready to deliver medicine and equipment to our country. I express gratitude to all of them,” the president added.
President Rouhani further lashed out at the “coronavirus market profiteers” who have hoarded medical supplies and respiratory masks.
He then gave an assurance that the Iranian medical society will overcome the current crisis with the “minimum casualties and in the shortest time possible”.
President Rouhani further called on people not to pay attention to the fake news and false statistics for the coronavirus death toll and infection cases, saying the only authentic source to release the news of the disease is the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
He finally praised the doctors, nurses and medical staff for being at the forefront of the war on COVID-19.
Earlier yesterday Rouhani inaugurated a major project to establish a stand of trees covering an area of 1,290 hectares around the metropolis of Tehran.
The President planted a tree at the Sa’dabad complex in northern Tehran to mark the national Week of Natural Resources and Arbour Day.
He also inaugurated a project to create 1,290 hectares of forest around Tehran as part of the ‘Green Belt Plan’.
Highlighting the significance of afforestation and protection of the environment, the president said a report released by the Municipality of Tehran indicates that the number of tress and forestation projects around the capital have risen by 16.5 times in comparison to the early days after victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
“Paying attention to planting trees as the respiratory airways and lungs of the society could greatly help tackle air pollution,” President Rouhani noted.
He then called for plans to plant fruit trees near the big cities, saying a number of European countries have included fruit trees in the afforestation projects around urban areas, resulting in both visual attraction and fruit production.
The president further noted that the healthcare considerations in the current year have been under the spotlight among the public, saying people have acknowledged after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that they must attach greater significance to protection of the health of themselves, their children and the other individuals.
“Undoubtedly, one of the affairs that could ensure the health of society is paying attention to the protection of rangelands and planting trees,” he stated.
