IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Acting Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Hossein Modares Khiabani says when South Korean and French auto-making giants left Iran two years ago, nobody thought that Iran’s auto-making industry could have produced this amount of vehicles and to stand on its feet but it happened and the production trend of two Iranian auto-making giants have come back to their heyday.

Mr. Modarres Khabani said that it is natural that after focusing on the quantity and circulation, the auto-makers should be focused on improving the quality for international competition and regional market and all should move towards improving quality and customer’s satisfaction.

He further said that auto-makers should also work on the after sale services simultaneously with working on the look and technical aspect of their productions.

Modarres Khiabani added that currently the country is active in exporting auto parts, expressing hope that it can provide its need domestically and produce vehicle with competitive quality.

He noted that the production of vehicles in the country has grown by 18 percent in the first two months of the current year comparing to the same period last year.

He added that in this period, delivery of products of two giant auto-makers Iran Khodro and SAIPA have increased by 55 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

He added that the ministry is currently focused on providing the raw material to increase the auto production.

Modarres Khaiabani stated that despite restrictions, five million people registered for buying cars through lottery, adding that this amount of demand equals to production of cars in 2 to 3 countries. He said even in countries like South Korea, the number of produced cars stands at 3.6m annually while in Iran,five million people have applied for it.

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In an interview with IRIB on Wednesday, Bahram Qassemi dismissed the US and French claims that Iran’s move to launch a satellite violated resolution 2231, which endorses the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“We strongly condemn the baseless and irrelevant remarks by the US secretary of state and the French officials,” Qassemi noted.

He explained that Iran stands on its own feet when it comes to the space technology, stressing that Tehran will vigorously keep enhancing such homegrown capabilities for the country’s progress and for enjoying the advantages of space industry.

Iran’s move to launch a satellite into orbit is by no means in violation of any of the UN Securely Council Resolutions, specifically the UNSC Resolution 2231, Qassemi underscored, adding, “Unfortunately, some (countries) in the world are worried about Iran’s scientific advances, though there is no reason for such concerns and such stances are only adopted to foment Iranophobia.”

He further stressed that Iran will keep trying to upgrade its infrastructures in various spheres in order to gain the position it deserves.

Qassemi finally explained that the application of the civilian satellite that Iran launched into space is quite clear, noting that such satellites are used for meteorological purposes and studying climate changes.

On Tuesday, Iran launched a satellite, dubbed Payam, into space. The satellite, however, failed to reach the orbit in the final stage.

Although Payam and its carrier had gone through successful tests, the satellite failed to reach the required speed on detachment from the rocket in the third stage.

Officials say Iran still plans to launch another low Earth orbit satellite, Doosti (Friendship in Persian), in the near future.

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“Nonsense,” “a charade”, “a bluff” and “a drop in the ocean,” were among the immediate reactions that greeted the head of state’s televised speech Monday evening announcing an increase in the minimum wage and a range of other financial measures.

At a roundabout in the southern town of Le Boulou, some 150 “yellow vests” gathered around a loudspeaker listened carefully to the president’s words before starting to shout in chorus.

“He is trying to do a pirouette to land back on his feet but we can see that he isn’t sincere, that it’s all smoke and mirrors,” said Jean-Marc, a car mechanic.

“It’s just window dressing, for the media, some trivial measures, it almost seems like a provocation,” said Thierry, 55, a bicycle mechanic who donned the yellow vest a fortnight ago.

“All this is cinema, it doesn’t tackle the problems of substance,” he told AFP before taking part in blocking the Boulou turnpike on the French-Spanish border.

“We’re really wound up, we’re going back to battle,” he said.

Less than an hour after the presidential address, the A9 toll booth from Spain was completely paralyzed, an AFP photographer said.

“Maybe if Macron had made this speech three weeks ago, it would have calmed the movement, but now it’s too late,” said Gaetan, 34, one of the “Rennes Lapins Jaunes” (Yellow Rabbits of Rennes). “For us, this speech is nonsense.”

In the northwest, at a roundabout at the end of the A28 in Montabon, near Le Mans, “yellow vests” gathered under a heated tent to watch the president on TV, sharing a picnic.

“Too bad, blew it again!” exclaimed Etienne. “Santa Claus has nothing in his sack,” laughed Hubert.

Over in eastern France, at the Cafe de la Paix in Commercy, about 15 “yellow vests” watched Macron’s speech with a glass of Picon and a basket of fries, interrupting the presidential address with ironic sneers.

“Sir feels bad,” Elisabeth, a 66-year-old retiree, said mockingly as the president acknowledged that he had “hurt some”.

“It was about time,” added Damien, in his thirties. “Liar,” a woman shouted.

“He is being held hostage so he drops some crumbs,” said Jonathan, a 35-year-old official.

In the southern commune of Realmont, “gilets jaunes” from all four corners of the department of Tarn gathered at the roundabout to heave a sigh and release nervous laughter.

“The people asked him to resign and he puts plasters on third-degree burns (…) this is total rubbish,” said Pierrot, an RSA artist in Albi.

For Luc, a pizza chef in Marseille, “it’s a charade. He announces bonuses to be paid by employers but how will they do it? They don’t have more money.”

Some “yellow vests” however saw “an awareness” of their problems in the presidential speech.

“The increase of 100 euros, it’s really not bad,” said Erwan, a spokesman in Rennes.

Commenting on the extra measures announced for retirees who earn less than 2,000 euros, he said it would “give them a little more”, adding “the end of year bonus too, it’s very good.”

“He even talked about the big companies that don’t pay their taxes in France, we hope that he will move on that too”.

“There are some good ideas, it’s a mea culpa which arrives too late but we will not spit on it,” said Claude Rambour, a “yellow vest” member of the “Gauls of Calais”.

But “he should have gone further,” said the 42-year-old who fears that the speech wants to “divide the yellow vests”.

“We will take the time to think, to interpret, to talk about it between us,” said Laure, a jobless mother of Gironde, who was however “not convinced”.

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“We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told LCI television.

“I say this to Donald Trump and the French president says it too: leave our nation be.”

Trump had on Saturday posted two tweets referring to the “yellow vest” anti-government protests that have swept France since mid-November and sparked rioting in Paris, AFP reported.

“Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it’s time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?” he suggested.

Trump had earlier posted: “The Paris Agreement isn’t working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France.

“People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting ‘We Want Trump!’ Love France.”

The protests in France are not directly linked to the Paris climate agreement which was signed in 2015 and has since been abandoned by Trump, to the dismay of French President Emmanuel Macron and other Western leaders.

Spurred by rising fuel prices – in part due to tax hikes aimed at helping France shift to a lower-carbon economy – the “yellow vest” protests have grown into a broad movement against Macron’s policies and governing style.

Earlier this week Trump retweeted one of several posts falsely claiming that French protesters were chanting his name.

The videos that have been used to support this claim were in fact filmed at a far-right protest in London earlier this year.

Other French politicians have also responded angrily to Trump’s latest tweets, including a lawmaker from Macron’s party who dubbed the US leader “Donald the Senile”.

“Don’t insult my country Dotard,” Joachim Son-Forget posted, employing an antiquated insult previously used against Trump by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The post Trump Must Not Interfere in French Politics: Foreign Minister appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Speaking to Sputnik, Alexandre Langlois noted that the police were not going to join “yellow vest” protesters, however, intended to support them.

“We will go to the rally with our banners to show that we support the demand to increase the purchasing power. Any police officer not on duty has the right to join them during the demonstration,” Langlois said.

According to Langlois, French police officers are often mistreated, and they have to work “without rest.” Therefore, he urged the law enforcement not to make “fatal mistake” and refrain from participating in rallies if they feel emotionally exhausted.

Langlois also added that the French security services were powerless in confronting “yellow vest” protesters, as former French President Nicolas Sarkozy had significantly undermined their capabilities by focusing on counterterrorism activities.

According to the secretary general, the French authorities should meet some of the demands of “yellow vest” protesters in order to stabilize the situation.

The so-called “yellow vest” protests, named after the reflective vests all French drivers are required to keep in their cars, have been ongoing in France since November 17. Diesel prices in France have risen by around 23 percent since the beginning of the year, while the gasoline prices have gone up by 15 percent. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he was abandoning a proposed fuel tax hike following violent protests.

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