TEHRAN (Iran News) – Federation of Iranian Food Associations says if the country does not join the FATF and it does not attract foreign investment, it will face serious challenges.
Speaking to ILNA, Mohammad Reza Mortezavi said that countries can survive without connecting to the world economic system but they cannot progress, adding that if investment and capital enters the country, its economy will undoubtedly move forward.
Reacting to the question that Lebanon rejected the corn cargo shipped from Ukraine due to contamination while Iran has announced readiness to buy grain especially corn from Ukraine and this may risk the food security of the country, Mortezavi said that definition of contamination for agro consignment is different from one country to another and Iran accepts a cargo with some certain percentage of contamination but some other countries may reject the very consignment.
He noted that condition for storing the grain in Ukraine is not favorable because the rate of humidity is high in Ukraine and the current condition makes it difficult to keep the consignments in good and healthy condition and there is possibility for them to get contaminated.
Mortezavi also said that Iran has imported some 1.8m tons of wheat by April while the country needs at least to import at least 4m tons more to meet its needs. He added that the legal strategic wheat reserve is 5m tons, adding that strategic reserves have been consumed in the past two years and the amount of wheat in the silos had declined to 1m tons before harvesting season began and if the country wants to recharge its strategic reserves, it needs to import at least 2m tons of wheat and therefore the country needs to import at least 6m tons.
On the slump in the price of wheat in the world, he said that if wheat and grains from Ukraine are loaded and shipped to the market, its price will slump more and the pressure on the world will be removed.
Touching upon this point that Turkey is becoming a hub for Russia’s grain in the region, Mortezavi said that Turkey sacrifices politics for its economic issues, and economic interests decide for Turkey to have friendly ties with which countries.
He added that Turkey’s national currency has lost its value by one-third in the past five years and its economy has been affected by the pandemic and its tourism revenues has been hit badly, and therefore the country takes advantage of any opportunity to boost its economy and improve the condition.
On the necessity of joining the FATF, he said that if Iran does not accept joining it, its economy will face serious challenges in the next three years, adding that if it is not accepted, the country will have problem for trade and deal even with friendly friends.
Mortezavi reiterated that removal of sanctions will have its positive effects on economy, adding that economies cam survive without connecting to the global economic system but it will be unable to progress, reiterating that the country needs arrival of foreign investment.
He reiterated that with a political rationality, Iran’s economy is one of the most apt economies in the world for growth of investment, adding that Europe needs Iran’s gas and Iran should expand its oil and gas resources in the framework of negative balance.
