Iran ties Archives - Iran News Daily

Iranian Parliamentary Group, Chinese Envoy Weigh Plans to Boost Ties

reporter 1222 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 09:15:12 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – China’s ambassador to Tehran and members of Iranian parliamentary friendship group discussed ways to broaden economic and cultural relations between the two countries.

The meeting between Chinese Ambassador Chang Hua and members of the Iran-China parliamentary friendship group revolved around economic cooperation between Tehran and Beijing.

The Chinese envoy also welcomed the promotion of cultural interaction between the two nations considering their rich history.

The two sides called for efforts to prepare the necessary infrastructures to boost the economic and cultural ties and facilitate the bilateral relations.

In August 2019, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited China to explore avenues for the expansion of strategic relations between the two nations in talks with senior Chinese officials.

In a meeting in Beijing, Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed various issues related to bilateral relations, the latest developments in the implementation of the JCPOA, a roadmap for Iran-China ties in the next 25 years, the security of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, and the illegal and unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States on independent countries.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations announced in July 2020 that the 25-year roadmap between Tehran and Beijing for strategic partnership is nothing out of the ordinary and stems from age-old relations between the two countries.

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Iran Urges Need to Boost Cooperation with Iraq

reporter 1222 — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 05:11:11 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – President Hassan Rouhani of Iran in a telephone conversation with his counterpart in Iraq, Barham Salih on July 31 stressed the need to boost Tehran-Baghdad relations and cooperation as well as speeding up the implementation of previously signed agreements.

Congratulating his Iraqi counterpart on the occasion of Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), President Rouhani referred to the long history of bilateral relations between the two neighboring states and hoped that the two nations will have more interactions after the coronavirus pandemic is controlled, IRNA reported.

President Rouhani referred to the recent visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Iran as a positive step and an opportunity to review issues of mutual interest.

Kadhimi, who assumed his country’s premiership in May, visited Iran on July 21 heading a high-ranking economic and political delegation and held separate meetings with his Iranian counterpart as well as the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

In his telephone call with his Iraqi counterpart, President Rouhani expressed hope that the decisions and agreements made during Kadhimi’s visit to Tehran would be implemented as soon as possible with the efforts of the Iranian and Iraqi officials to further strengthen Tehran-Baghdad economic relations and trade exchanges.

According to Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, special advisor to Iran’s Parliament speaker, the value of Tehran-Baghdad’s annual trade relations stood at 14 billion dollars,

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to develop all-out bilateral relations with Iraq, and it is ready to cooperate and share experiences with Iraq in the path of fighting coronavirus,” the Iranian president told his Iraqi counterpart on the phone.

President Barham Salih, for his part, congratulated Eid al-Adha to the Iranian government and nation, and said, “The manifestation of this great festivity is the unity of Muslims and we hope the unity and cooperation among regional countries would further expand given the current conditions of the world and spread of coronavirus.”

He appreciated Iran’s supports and assistance for Iraq in its efforts to control the COVID-19 spread.

Salih further evaluated the Iraqi prime minister’s visit to Iran as positive and noted, “Expansion of all-out relations with Iran is an unavoidable principle in Iraq’s foreign policy.”

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IRICA: Trade with EAEU hits $2.11b since October

reporter 1222 — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 05:07:25 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Value of Iran’s trade with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states during late October 2019-early June 2020, surpassed $2.11 billion, said the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

He put Iran’s imports from the EAEU countries at over $1.52 billion, saying the country exported goods worth $584 million to these states, IRNA reported.

Close to 53 percent of the transactions were based on and within the framework of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) signed between Iran and the EAEU countries in 2018.

After several years of negotiations, Iran and the EAEU finally signed the PTA in May 2018 based on which about 862 commodities are subject to tariffs. The interim agreement enabling the formation of a free trade area between Iran and the EAEU officially came into force in October 2019.

Latifi said Russia has been the main target market of Iranian products in this period, accounting for over 53 percent of Iran’s total overseas sales to the EAEU members.

He added that following Russia, the other major destinations of Iran’s exports to EAEU states have been Armenia (23 percent), Kazakhstan (16 percent), and Kyrgyzstan (less than 1.5 percent).

In addition, he noted, Russian products have constituted over 87.5 percent of the total value of Iran’s imports from the EAEU states. Other major exporters to Iran have been Kazakhstan (over 18 percent), Belarus (two percent), Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

He listed Iran’s export items as fresh apples (accounting for 14.5 percent of the total overseas sales to the EAEU states), pistachios (11.9 percent), natural gas (8.1 percent), kiwifruit (7.2 percent) as well as raisins (three percent).

The IRICA spokesman added Iran’s imports included barley, wheat and by-products, corn for livestock, and sunflower oil.

Development of trade ties with Iran is important for EAEU members such as Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The EAEU ‎is an economic union of states located in Central and Northern Asia and Eastern Europe. The ‎treaty on the EAEU was signed in May 2014 by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan ‎, and Russia, and came into force in January 2015. ‎

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Iran, Arab partners hit annual trade worthing $22b

reporter 1222 — Wed, 06 May 2020 06:02:13 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The value of the trades of Iran with its Arab trade partners in the region stood at about $22 billion in the past Iranian year (ending March 19), said the director-general of the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO)’s Office of Arabian and African Countries.

According to Farzad Piltan, Iran exported about $12.5 billion worth of commodities to the Arab partners in the said period, while importing about $9 billion, IRNA reported.

The mentioned trade partners include Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

In terms of exports, Iraq was Iran’s top export destination with about $9 billion worth of goods exported to the country, followed by the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Bahrain.

As for the imports, the UAE ranks first with $8.7 billion worth of exports to Iran, followed by Oman, Iraq, and Jordan with $167 million, $131 million, and $21 million of imports, respectively.

According to the official, trade relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia were severed in the mentioned year; no direct trade between the two countries took place last year.

According to Iran’s trade data for the previous year, the UAE ranked second, after China, among Iran’s top trade partners and Iraq was the fourth while Oman was ranked 18th, Qatar 34th, Kuwait 39th, Syria 41st, and Lebanon 62nd, Jordan 63rd, and Bahrain 88th.

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Iran, Belarus discuss how to raise economic cooperation

reporter 1222 — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 04:54:27 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran and Belarus discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation in a meeting on Friday.

The meeting was held between Iran Ambassador to Belarus Saeid Yari and Belarusian Minister of Industry Pavel Utiupin in Minsk, Mehr News Agency reported.

Utopia is also the co-president of the two countries’ joint economic committee.

The two sides discussed the latest status of trade and economic cooperation between Iran and Belarus and conferred on making necessary arrangements to hold the 15th session of the joint committee.

Belarus is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) along with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.

Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration Seyyed Rouhollah Latifi said in early March that exports to the EAEU countries in the first 11 months of the previous Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2019-February 19, 2020) stood at $1.244 billion, indicating a growth of 105 percent, compared to the same period a year ago.

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11 months trade with EAEU worths $2.5bn; Iran says

reporter 1222 — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 14:03:47 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s foreign trade value with member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) hit $2.5 billion in 11 months of the current Iranian calendar year (from March 21, 2019, to Feb. 19, 2020).

Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Seyyed Rouhollah Latifi made the remarks on Tue. and put the value of trade products exported from Iran to EAEU member states in 11 months of the current year at $1,244,536,210, showing a significant 105 percent growth as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

He further noted that $550,410,009 worth of products were exported from Iran to EAEU’s member states in 11 months of the previous year (from March 21, 2018, to Feb. 19, 2019).

Turning to the volume of products imported from Eurasia, he said, “over 2,811,228 tons of products, valued at $1,204,379,026, were imported into the country in 11 months of the current year.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Latifi pointed to the provisional Free Trade Agreement (FTA) inked between Iran and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and added, “under the Agreement, which has been put into effect on Oct. 27, 2019, a number of 380 tariffs’ codes have been agreed between the two sides for transacting goods.”

He pointed out that doing trade and business with EAEU’s member states has paved suitable ways for domestic traders, producers and those who are active in economic activities in the country.

Presently, the five countries including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) but this Union has expressed its readiness to cooperate with more than 40 countries and international organizations for doing business within the framework of the Union, Latifi added.

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Tehran-Dushanbe economic relations to expand

reporter 1222 — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 06:35:56 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Tajikistan’s Finance Minister Qahhorzoda Faiziddin Sattor in a meeting with Tehran Ambassador to Dushanbe Taqi Saberi called for the development of mutual cooperation and economic relations.

“Given the technical and export capacities of companies in Tehran and Iran in many areas, Dushanbe is ready to participate in the construction of joint factories and expand economic relations,” Sattor said as reported by Fars News Agency.

The Tajik finance minister, meantime, called for increased investment by Iranian businessmen and investors in his country’s projects.

The Iranian ambassador, for his part, emphasized the need to increase the volume of economic exchanges between the two countries.

Saberi said Iran is also ready to cooperate with Tajikistan in all fields and help implement joint projects.

Earlier this month, Saberi and Tajik Minister of Agriculture Ezzatollah Sattari in a meeting vowed to spare no efforts for expanding agricultural cooperation between the two states.

During the meeting, Sattari referred to the lingual, cultural, historical and religious commonalities between the two nations and underlined the need to further develop relations between the two countries while outlining his country’s achievements in providing food and increasing agricultural products.

Referring to recent positive developments in Iran-Tajikistan relations, Saberi stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has made significant achievements in different aspects of agriculture such as production and development of agricultural machinery, supply and modification of seed crops, watershed expansion and soil conservation, as well as improve its self-reliance on key strategic products and development of aquaculture and sea and poultry farming.

The Iranian ambassador noted that the development and processing of medicinal plants, irrigation and drainage networks and new irrigation systems, the expansion of information and communication infrastructure, and the increase of complementary and conversion industries in the agricultural sector were among other achievements of Iran in those fields.

Saberi further stated that given the abundant water supplies and arable lands in Tajikistan, the Islamic Republic is ready to cooperate in all areas of agriculture with the Republic of Tajikistan.

For his part, Sattari welcomed the Iranian ambassador’s suggestions, saying, “We are ready to cooperate and make use of Iran’s experiences in the agricultural sector.”

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ICC Impartiality in Response to US Threats is Needed

reporter 1222 — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 12:12:19 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran called on the International Criminal Court, known as ICC, to continue independence and impartiality and show a reaction to the US threats against the ICC and its judges.

Iran’s representative at the 18th ICC Assembly in The Hague Reza Pourmand Tehrani emphasized the need to maintain independence, impartiality, and avoidance of political susceptibility of the international body.

During the meeting, Pourmand Tehrani emphasized the necessity of maintaining the independence, impartiality, and avoidance of political susceptibility of the International Criminal Court in the Statute of the ICC.

He also condemned the recent threats by the US officials against the International Criminal Court and its judges, prosecutors, and staff, saying that halting these threats to justice and at the same time a test for the tribunal for its independence and effectiveness.

The Iranian envoy in The Hague also welcomed the Court’s recent approach to investigate crimes committed against Rohingya Muslim minorities in Myanmar, Palestine, and Afghanistan, while also emphasizing impartiality and resistance to political pressure in these cases.

The Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court is the highest decision-making body that meets annually to determine the Court’s non-judicial policies with the participation of representatives of the Member-States and its observers.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is an observer member of the International Criminal Court.

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Iran-Austria ties be improved, Austrian Ambassador say

reporter 1222 — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 10:40:49 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Austrian Ambassador to Iran Stefan Scholz underlined US sanctions have not yet had negative impact on infrastructure projects, and we are planning for faster improvement of Iran-Austria ties.

Speaking to ILNA news agency correspondent, Scholz stressed Vienna will continue its trade ties with Tehran despite of the US sanctions, adding that “Anti-Iran sanctions have made trade relations with Iran a little difficult but they can be improved through efforts.”

Referring on recent diplomatic meetings with Tehran’s mayor on the sidelines of the 4th International Mayors Summit (IMS) in Vienna, he said: “Several countries came together in Vienna to expand ties, so they discussed important issues, first of all deepening of the friendship and cooperation between Tehran and Vinnea.”

“We are working to expand our relations with Iran in the field of architecture and urban planning in the future.”

Austrian Ambassador pointed that Vienna was the host of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action known commonly as the Iran nuclear and said “We have common interests with Tehran and are very interested in maintaining a friendly atmosphere between Iran and Austria.”

Responding to the question that Tehran faces difficulties in providing metro infrastructure after the US sanctions and whether Austria can assist Iran in this regard, the Austrian ambassador said “We are in a very difficult situation now because in most cases there is a problem with the payment, but Austrian companies continue to operate in regards with Iran-Austria ties despite the post-sanctions threats.”

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Zanganeh called on friendship among regional countries

reporter 1222 — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 04:30:51 +0000

“In my opinion, there is basically no enemy among regional countries. The enemy is outside the region,” Zanganeh told reporters on Thursday night, Iran News quotes the Press TV report.

He also called on regional countries to view Iran as their friend, expressing Tehran’s readiness to cooperate with its neighbors to secure the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran is a friend of everyone,” Zanganeh added.

“We are prepared to join hands with other countries in the region and protect the security of Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz together,” he said.

“This must be carried out by ourselves (littoral states of Persian Gulf),” he added.

The comments came after President Hassan Rouhani said lasting security and peace in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz could be established only through cooperation among regional countries.

During a speech at the 74th UN General Assembly on September 25, Rouhani said, “Based upon the historic1al responsibility of my country in maintaining security, peace, stability and progress in the Persian Gulf region and Strait of Hormuz, I would like to invite all the countries directly affected by the developments in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the ‘Coalition for Hope’, meaning Hormuz Peace Endeavor.”

He added, “The Coalition for Hope is based on important principles such as compliance with the goals and principles of the United Nations, mutual respect, equal footing, dialog and understanding, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, inviolability of international borders, the peaceful settlement of all disputes, and more importantly, the two fundamental principles of non-aggression and non-interference in the domestic affairs of each other. The presence of the United Nations is necessary for the creation of an international umbrella in support of the Coalition for Hope.”

In a tweet last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif invited all regional states to join Iran’s initiative for securing the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Zarif said the initiative entails “dialogue, confidence-building, freedom of navigation, energy security, non-aggression, and non-intervention”.

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