IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – The deputy head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization Jalil Eslami says almost 90 percent of Iran’s trade is done by the sea and maritime transportation and seafarers are center of this activity and task.

Speaking on the occasion of international Day of Seafarer, Jalili said that the slogan of International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the Day of Seafarer is “seafarers are key component of maritime industry”.

He added that the provision chain of world trade is a long chain where seafarers have essential role in it and the world trade marches ahead due to seafarers’ efforts.

Eslami went on to say that almost 90 percent of Iran’s trade is done by the sea and support of maritime transportation and seafarers have a significant responsibility on their shoulders.

He added that Iran has experience of holding maritime courses for 34 years and this is the 11^th time that the country marks the Day of Seafarer.

He noted that over 20,000 maritime operations were carried out last year in the country’s trade ports for serving the vessels by seafarers.

Eslami added that over 16m maritime travelers enjoy marine services in south and north of Iran which are offered by sailors.

He said over 160m tons of goods have been loaded and unloaded in the ports where sailors have had great role in them.

Eslami reiterated that the country has some 130,000 registered sailors and the marine system needs new regulations and directives.

On the international front, he said the organization has several times submitted its protests to the IMO over the U.S. illegal pressures and threats.

Eslami noted that over 77,000 maritime documents have been issued by the organization for the seafarers and 600 training courses have been held and 40,000 people have attended the courses.

He further said the organization is to launch a think-tank by cooperation of seafarers soon in order that their problems and related issues to be resolved there.

Meanwhile in the ceremony, deputy head of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) said that unfortunately Iranian sailors have failed to show their capabilities internationally due to their passports and political reasons.

Captain Farshad Shahbaz said that seafarers need to have mastery over life skills, adding that in Iran one cannot find satisfied sailors as they take great woes with them from their houses to the sea.

He noted that unfortunately officials are not aware of the importance of Iran’s shipping line and oil tankers, adding that if the shipping line of ISIRL and oil tankers are not be able to continue their works, sanctions will bear fruit and the country will collapse.

Shahbaz reiterated that although seafarers get good salaries but being far from family ruins them and IRISL has tried to enliven incentives among seafarers by different means.

Meanwhile Head of Iran’s Port and Maritime Organization Mr. Mohammad Rastad said that although sanctions have created problems but the era of sanctions is transient and it will come to an end,

He said Iran’s maritime sector has good capacity which can serve the country.

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According To Iran News, Iran’s Ambassador to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad in his twitter account announced that Iran has sent an official letter to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to express deep concern over the recent US threat to Iranian fuel tankers.

“In an official letter to the #IMO, we expressed deep concern over reports that US is considering action against Iranian oil tankers at international sea and thus endangering safety of intl. navigation,” wrote  Baeidinejad.

“Iran responds to any threat and US bears responsibility for any consequences,” he added.

Tanker monitoring groups said at least five Iranian-flagged tankers are transporting fuel to Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean despite US sanctions targeting both Tehran and Caracas.

The US Navy is said to have deployed its USS Detroit (LCS-7), USS Lassen (DDG-82), USS Preble (DDG-88), and USS Farragut (DDG-99) to the Caribbean along with its patrol aircraft Boeing P8-Poseidon for a possible encounter with the Iranian vessels.

In a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday, Zarif described “the illegal, dangerous and provocative US threats [against the Iranian tankers]” as a form of piracy and a big threat to international peace and security. He then highlighted the responsibility of “the US administration with regard to the consequences of any illegal move, reiterating Iran’s right to adopt appropriate and necessary measures in the face of such threats.

Tehran also summoned Swiss ambassador whose country represents US interests in Tehran, to voice the country’s vehement protest at US provocations.

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Making the remarks in a ceremony held in IRIB Conference Center in Tehran to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of IMO, Kitack Lim also appreciated Iranian maritime sector’s contribution to the IMO’s measures and called on the country to have always a strong part in supporting the laws and regulations to promote maritime industry, the news portal of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) announced.

IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. Headquartered in London, the organization currently has 174 member states and three associate members.

Iran among world’s top 20 countries

Addressing the same ceremony, PMO Head Mohammad Rastad said that enjoying some long coastlines, many commercial ports, and a large shipping fleet Iran is among the top 20 countries in the world in terms of maritime capacity.

“We have also good performance in terms of preserving the marine environment”, the official highlighted.

He further appreciated Kitack Lim attending in the ceremony and said: “IMO’s secretary general’s presence here is a valuable and important opportunity for us.”

As a country which was one of the members of IMO since the beginning of the organization’s activities, Iran is always committed to follow IMO rules and regulations, the official noted.

“Our efforts are for the more growth of our country’s presence in the global transportation and given our capacities it can be expected that Iran can take more share of the global market in this due”, Rastad also asserted.

21st place in world in terms of cargo transport via sea

Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi was the other official speaking in the ceremony. He said through transporting 19 million tons of cargo via sea Iran was ranked the 21st in the world in 2017, IRIB reported.

He also said that having a 6.5-million-ton capacity, Iran stands at the 31st place in the world in terms of maritime transportation capacity and National Iranian Tanker Company has the largest fleet of oil tankers in the Middle East.

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