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Iranian Chess Grandmaster Plays Friendly Match with Swiss envoy

reporter 1222 — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 05:08:06 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian chess grandmaster Ehsan Qaem Maqam was invited to Swiss diplomatic mission in Tehran on the occasion of the World Chess Day (July 20) and played a “short friendly match” with Swiss ambassador to Iran Markus Leitner.

Qaem Maqami, 37, is the record holder of the Iranian Chess Championship with 13 titles. He won the title of the Iranian Chess Grandmaster in 2000.

He attended the Swiss mission in Tehran on July 19 and discussed the progress of chess in Iran, IRNA reported.

Switzerland is the host of the world chess federation, usually referred to by its French acronym FIDE, (Fédération Internationale des Échecs). The international body connects the various national chess federations and acts as the governing body of international chess competition.

According to Qaem Maqami Ambassador Leitner had great information about Iranian chess players and positive views towards Iran’s sport.

The Swiss diplomat hailed Iranian talented chess players noting that they are well-known around the world and their performance is monitored by the international community.

In another development, the Swiss diplomatic mission in Tehran had earlier wrote in a Twitter message: “Why are Iranians, such excellent chess players? How is it to play for a Swiss chess club? What is a grandmaster’s next challenge? Fascinating conversation + a (short) friendly match on #WorldChessDay with Iranian chess grandmaster Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami.”

International Chess Day is celebrated annually on July 20, the day the International Chess Federation was founded, in 1924. The idea to celebrate this day as the international chess day was proposed by UNESCO, and it has been celebrated as such since 1966 after it was established by FIDE.

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Iran Summons Swiss Envoy over US ‘Warmongering Statements’

reporter 1222 — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 13:11:15 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss envoy representing US interests in Tehran over “warmongering statements” by American officials.

The Swiss charge d’affaires was summoned on Wednesday over Washington’s accusations against Tehran and its ‘warmongering statements’ on the latest developments in Iraq, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website.

During the meeting with the Swiss diplomat, an Iranian foreign minister’s assistant, Mohsen Baharvand, asked him to convey Iran’s strong protest to the US officials over their “warmongering statements” in violation of the United Nations Charter, the ministry said.

“He (the Swiss envoy) was reminded that Iran is not a country seeking war… but stands against any threat or any unreasonable act and defends itself with all its might,” according to the website.

US officials, including President Donald Trump, are trying to accuse Iran of encouraging the protests underway in Iraq against US airstrikes on bases of Popular Mobilization Units PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi.

On Sunday, US forces conducted drone strikes on a number of Kata’ib Hezbollah bases in Iraq’s western Anbar province, killing at least 28 individuals and leaving another 51 injured.

Kata’ib Hezbollah is part of Iraq’s PMU.

Following the strikes, the Pentagon issued a statement saying that it had targeted three locations of the Iraqi fighters in Iraq and two in Syria in response to alleged attacks targeting American forces.

The incident led to a massive funeral ceremony for the Iraqi martyrs, followed by a huge rally by thousands of angry protesters who reached the US diplomatic mission in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, chanting ‘Death to America’ and burning US flags on Tuesday.

The protesters further held up signs calling for the US mission to be shut down and for the parliament to order US forces to leave Iraq.

Many protesters have set up tents, announcing plans for an indefinite sit-in until the embassy is closed and the ambassador expelled from the country.

A few hours into the protest, tear gas was fired in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

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Blue peace plan, an invitation from Swiss envoy

reporter 1222 — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 07:59:10 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Markus Leitner, the Swiss Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran invited Iran for signing membership in the Management and Policymaking Council of the ‘Blue Peace’ Plan.

Speaking in a meeting with the Deputy Ministry of Energy for Water and wastewater Affairs Ghasem Taghizadeh Khamesi, held at the venue of the Ministry of Energy late on Mon., the Swiss envoy stated, “the ‘blue peace plan is a situation which was set up at the initiative taken by Switzerland in order to turn the issue of water from ‘conflict’ to ‘peace’ among the Middle Eastern regional countries.”

He invited the Islamic Republic of Iran, in addition to accepting membership in the policymaking and management council of this mechanism, to participate in this comprehensive plan.

For his part, Deputy Ministry of Energy for Water and Wastewater Affairs Ghasem Taghizadeh Khamesi pointed to the proposal of setting up a center for the regional cooperation of startup companies working in the field of water and wastewater and added, “due to its 3,000-year experience in the field of water concept, Islamic Republic of Iran can play a constructive role which is benefited from the most experienced manpower and relevant equipment.”

Since Iran enjoys high capabilities and capacities in this field, it can be useful for other regional countries in this field, he added.

Recently, a training and tutorial workshop of startups companies was held in cooperation with Iran National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company and Switzerland’s CEWAS Knowledge-based Company, based on which, proposal of setting up a center for the regional cooperation of startup companies in the field of water and wastewater was submitted with the aim of taking advantage of innovations and achievements of regional countries in the field of water and wastewater, he stated.

It is supposed that Switzerland’s CEWAS Knowledge-based Company will cooperate with Iran and then with other regional countries in a way that the Islamic Republic of Iran will be at the center-stage of implementation of this plan.

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Swiss ambassador to Iran Summoned over US Meddling

reporter 1222 — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 13:42:25 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Swiss ambassador to Iran in protest at the US government’s interference in the Islamic Republic’s internal affairs.

Markus Leitner, the Swiss envoy whose country represents the US interests in the Islamic Republic, was summoned on Wednesday.

He received Tehran’s protest about the US government’s interference in the internal affairs of Iran.

The Swiss diplomat was summoned after US State Secretary Mike Pompeo voiced support for the rioters who have taken advantage of the protests in a number of Iranian cities over a hike in the price of subsidized gasoline in recent days.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi had already condemned Pompeo’s meddlesome and hypocritical remarks, saying, “The dignified people of Iran are well aware that such hypocritical and spurious comments (from Pompeo) do not embody any sincere and affectionate sympathy.”

Mousavi has also slammed Pompeo’s comments as interference in the internal affairs of Iran, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran sees the US government in no position to sympathize with the Iranian nation and people. If they (Americans) are really concerned, they had better worry about tens of millions of hungry people living without a home and in extreme poverty across the United States.”

On Friday, Iran began rationing gasoline and substantially increased the price of fuel, saying the revenue would be used to assist the needy.

The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) said in a statement late Thursday that the price of a liter of regular gasoline had gone up to 15,000 rials (12.7 US cents) from 10,000 rials and the monthly ration for each private automobile was set at 60 liters per month. Additional purchases would cost 30,000 rials per liter.

The decision sparked rallies in a number of Iranian cities, some of which were marred by violence as opportunist elements tried to exploit the situation and ride the wave of peaceful protests against hiking fuel prices. Consequently, the demonstrations turned violent in some cities, with reports of clashes between security forces and certain elements vandalizing public property.

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