IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati says the economic growth rate in Iran has become positive, both with and without oil revenues.

In a post on his Instagram page on Sunday, the top banker said Iran has achieved a positive economic growth.

The great Iranian nation’s fortitude under the pressure of economic war and outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the efforts of the Iranian economic activists finally yielded results, Hemmati said.

“As I had already announced according to the course of indices of industrial and agricultural production as well as the growth in the credit of working capital of banks, the country’s economic growth has become positive,” the CBI governor announced.

A recent report from the CBI’s economic calculation department shows that the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate during the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 20 – September 21) has been positive with and without petrodollars, he stated.

Iran’s economic growth excluding the oil income in the first half of the current Iranian year has increased by +1.4 percent compared to the corresponding period last year, while the economic growth with oil has risen by +1.3 percent compared with the 6-month period a year earlier, he noted.

The CBI chief finally noted that the economic growth with the inclusion of oil has stood at -2.9 percent and +5.1 percent in the last spring and summer, respectively, while the growth rate without oil income has reached -0.6 percent in the first quarter and +3.2 percent in the second quarter of this year.

Meanwhile Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) is organizing an online 3-day Iran-Europe business forum in collaboration with the European Union (EU) which is to open today (December 14).

During this three-day event more than 60 Iranian and European officials will deliver speeches and companies from the two sides will hold online B2B meetings.

This investment conference will be run by the UN’s International Trade Center – an agency jointly managed by the United Nations and the World Trade Organization – and the TPO.

The main purpose of this event is to create a suitable environment for companies on both sides to engage in trade-economic interactions.

The Europe-Iran Business Forum, which is funded by the European Union, will be the first of its kind in two years, according to a statement by the organizers.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – An Adviser to the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran said that the Iran-Europe Business Forum will be held in mid-December to increase Iran’s non-oil exports.

Mirhadi Seyedi stated, “With the cooperation of the International Center (ITC) and the support of the European Union, the Iran-Europe Business Forum will be held on December 14 to 16 so as to increase Iran’s non-oil exports through creating the necessary platform for trade, scientific and technological cooperation.

According to Seyedi, the three-day meeting will be focused on specialized meetings on topics related to economic and trade relations between Iran and Europe, as well as special meetings on national export strategy in the fields of industrial sectors (auto parts and petrochemicals), agricultural sectors (medicinal plants, fruits, and vegetables), tourism services and services (ICT).

Emphasizing the uniqueness of this event for Iranian and European businesses, Seyedi said, “This meeting will allow Iranian and European companies to exchange ideas, expertise as well as identifying and communicating with potential business partners.”

He also noted that Iran-Europe Business Forum will revive talks and build mutual trust between companies, therefore, it can lead to the restoration of Iran-Europe trade relations, strengthening economic ties between the two sides, while paving the way for broader trade and investment ties.

It is worth mentioning that Iran’s foreign trade with Europe in the first seven months of the Iranian calendar year (March 20-October 21) amounted to 15.9 million tons worth over $8.8 billion.

Among European countries, the main export destinations were Turkey with $1,489, 372,408 billion, followed by Russia, Germany, and Italy.

During this period, Iran has exported goods to 37 European countries, including Austria, Germany, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, and Norway.

Over the last decade, Iran’s private sector, comprised of both major enterprises and SMEs, has become an increasingly important part of the country’s economy, contributing greatly to job creation and innovation.

The development of the private sector and the continued efforts of the Iranian government to facilitate privatization in major industries, has meant that the structure of the Iranian economy remains more conducive to expanded trade relations with Europe. This panel will provide an important context for policymakers and European business leaders about the composition of the Iranian private sector.

Following extensive technical cooperation funded by the European Commission, the International Trade Centre and the Iran Trade Promotion Organization have developed a new National Export Strategy (NES) for Iran. This panel markets the public launch of the new strategy.

In light of uncertainties arising from U.S. sanctions and the shock of the COVID-19 crisis, enhancing domestic competitiveness and productivity to expand trade opportunities is crucial more than ever before as Iran seeks a durable economic recovery.

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IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – Iran’s ambassador to the UN headquarters in Geneva has lashed out at certain Western governments, especially those in Europe, for interfering in other countries’ affairs under the pretext of human rights violations.

Esmaeil Baqaei Hamaneh said some Western countries are using human rights as an excuse to reach their goals.

“Western countries’ approach toward human rights issues will only create discord and standoffs between countries and downgrade human rights to be used as a tool to achieve political objectives,” he said.

“Some European countries have turned the Human Rights Council into an arena to meddle in the affairs of developing nations,” the top diplomat added.

“It is regrettable that some countries preach about respecting human rights while they have forgotten the crimes that they have committed in the past and present, and they cover up the fact that a great part of the predicaments that others are facing is the fallout from their own colonial policies and domineering mentality,” he noted.

“The rule of law is a prerequisite to the protection of, and respect for human rights,” he said.

“Exerting pressure on other governments under the banner of human rights in order to change domestic legal systems or interfere in judicial cases is unacceptable,” he underlined.

“The best way to realize the objectives of the [Human Rights] Council is dialogue and cooperation based on the principle of neutrality and avoiding stigmatizing and stereotyping others,” the ambassador said.

Earlier Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran has dismissed as ‘unacceptable, baseless and selective’ a joint statement by European countries on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic, saying it is in fundamental contrast with approaches to promote the issue globally.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran regards the European Union’s move to present the joint statement in the Human Rights Council as unacceptable,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.

He added that any abuse of human rights mechanism and interference in Iran’s internal affairs is by no means acceptable.

“This is not a new episode that some European countries remain indifferent and silent vis-à-vis the biggest [cases] of human rights violation [committed] by the very states and their allies.”

“They are racing among themselves to sell billions of dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia and [other] dictators in the region to kill the defenseless Yemeni people,” the Iranian official added.

Khatibzadeh emphasized that these European states assume that the suppression of protesters, the killing of Blacks, massacre of minorities, particularly Muslims, and the torture of prisoners as well as exerting pressure on refugees inside the EU borders is tantamount to the implementation of rules but at the same time, they claim that the “enforcement of judicial actions in accordance with criminal law by a fair court in other countries is violation of human rights.”

Such a double standard indicates lack of the Europeans’ sincerity to support human rights and their use of this concept for political purposes, he said.

“The development and promotion of human rights at national, regional and international levels within the framework of religious commitments and adherence to the constitution and regional regulations as well as international treaties are among enduring priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran and it is committed to observing them in practice.”

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According To Iran News, The European Union on Friday set up a unit of investigators to tackle an expected surge in financial crime in the economic downturn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and crack down on defrauding of state subsidies.

The European Financial and Economic Crime Centre will be set up within Europol, the EU law enforcement agency, and will employ 65 analysts to gather and share intelligence.

“The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has weakened our economy and created new vulnerabilities from which crime can emerge,” Europol head Catherine De Bolle said, adding the center would focus on countering money laundering, fraud and corruption, which usually increase in times of economic crisis.

Europol said sectors such as construction, hospitality, travel and tourism are at higher risk of being infiltrated or taken over by criminals during the economic crisis as companies try to survive the downturn, Reuters reported.

It also warned that subsidies offered during the pandemic “will be targeted by criminals seeking to defraud public funding”. Frauds involving medical equipment are also on the rise.

Europol analysts will help authorities in the 27 EU member states to conduct financial crime investigations and share intelligence.

The unit is also expected to help with the confiscation of criminal profits, just 1% of which are currently seized in Europe, according to Europol estimates.

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According To Iran News, Border closures do little to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the European Union’s public health agency said, as EU states weight lifting some travel restrictions imposed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said measures such as testing travelers before departure or temperature screening on arrival are also largely ineffective, though it confirmed that travelling facilitates the spread of the virus, Reuters reported.

The ECDC said in a report released late on Tuesday that border closures had very negative effects on the economy and were effective only in delaying an epidemic at its beginning and in isolated regions.

“Available evidence does not support recommending border closures, which will cause significant secondary effects and societal and economic disruption in the EU,” which normally operates open borders among member states, the agency said.

The European Commission, the EU executive arm, recommended in April an easing of travel restrictions first between areas of low contagion, encouraging some governments to reopen borders selectively with countries they deemed safer.

But the ECDC report said epidemiological data may not be reliable since European countries do not use a common approach to testing and case reporting, making it impossible to compare the spread of the epidemic.

The agency also said that forcing people to undergo a test before travelling may only be of limited value as the traveler may become infectious just before departure or during travel due to the virus’ two-week incubation period.

As for screening temperatures on arrival, it said, travelers may already be infectious but without a fever.

Questionnaires filled by travelers on their health conditions could offer additional useful information but present data protection risks, the ECDC said, reiterating that immunity certificates issued after antibody tests were not reliable.

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According To Iran News, Iran’s Judiciary Chief warned the Israeli regime and the US that annexing parts of the West Bank to the occupied territories will trigger a new Intifada (uprising) in Palestine and the region.

In an address to a Monday meeting of the Judiciary’s Supreme Council, Hojatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi denounced the US support for the Israeli regime’s plan for annexation of the West Bank to the occupied territories.

“Such move will definitely create a new Intifada all over the occupied territories and in the region, which will make the US and the occupiers of the holy Quds regret,” the top Iranian judge noted.

He also said that while the issues concerning Palestine and the region used to be resolved at the negotiating table in the past, today the anti-Israeli resistance front and the fighters on the field have developed initiatives and will never allow the evil objectives of the arrogant powers to materialize.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in announcing a deal with his rival Benny Gantz to form a unity government, has set July 1 for the start of cabinet discussions on extending “Israeli sovereignty” to Israeli settlements, illegal under international law, in the occupied West Bank and annexing outright the Jordan Valley.

The Palestinians have already threatened to cancel existing peace agreements if Netanyahu moves forward with his plan, while the European Union foreign policy chief said annexation would be a violation of international law and force the bloc to “act accordingly”. The UN’s Middle East envoy said such a step would “ignite” the region.

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According To Iran News, Some European and NATO countries cannot turn to Russia for help in the fight against the coronavirus because their “big brothers” are against it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

“We know from various sources that a number of countries in Europe, the European Union and NATO, would not mind repeating the Italian experience and contacting us for certain types of assistance in which we really have good comparative advantages, but their ‘big brothers’ don’t allow it,” Lavrov said, TASS reported.

Moscow does not consider it necessary to create “narrow circles of like-minded people” parallel to international organizations, Lavrov added. The diplomat believes that during the coronavirus pandemic, the role of nation-states has increased dramatically, this is evident throughout the world.

According to him, countries are trying to rely more on themselves in the fight against the spread of coronavirus. In addition, fatigue from an obsessive supranational bureaucracy is revealed, which is now “absolutely obvious” in the European Union. As the minister pointed out, fierce disputes are ongoing inside the association over who will be responsible for overcoming this crisis.

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According To Iran News, The European Union’s top court ruled on Thursday that Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic had broken the law by refusing to host refugees to help ease the burden on southern states such as Greece and Italy after a surge in migrant arrivals from 2015.

The ruling underscores Europe’s bitter divisions over migration, though the three ex-communist nations face no immediate penalty as the relocation of tens of thousands of people agreed by the EU was only envisaged until 2017.

“By refusing to comply with the temporary mechanism for the relocation of applicants for international protection, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic have failed to fulfil their obligations under European Union law,” the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union said in its ruling, Reuters reported.

The Eurosceptic, nationalist governments on the EU’s eastern flank had cited national security reasons in refusing to take in any of the mostly Muslim refugees and migrants who had fled wars and poverty in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.

Frontline states such as Italy and Greece complained angrily over the lack of European solidarity as they struggled with mass arrivals that overwhelmed their security and welfare systems.

Wealthy northern European states such as Germany also criticized the ex-communist east for refusing to help while continuing to benefit from generous EU financial aid.

More than a million people reached Europe’s shores from across the Mediterranean in 2015, catching the EU unprepared as they trekked across the continent and triggering a new wave of support in some quarters for far-right, anti-immigrant parties.

The EU has since cracked down on immigration, fortifying its external borders and offering money and aid to countries such as Turkey to help prevent migrants from heading to Europe.

But the internal EU divisions on migration are far from healed. The 2015 mass influx of migrants at least partly contributed to Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the EU, in the worst setback for European integration since World War Two.

The EU now faces a fresh test of its unity from the coronavirus pandemic, with member states mostly pursuing their own strategies to counter the spread of the disease and the worst affected nations – Italy and Spain – again complaining of a lack of European solidarity and aid.

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According To Iran News, Permanent representatives of 27 member states of the European Union agreed to renew individual sanctions against Russians expiring on March 15 for six more months, a source in the EU Council said.

“Individual sanctions against Russian individual and legal entities were renewed for six months at the morning meeting of Permanent Representatives without a discussion. The decision should be formally approved by the EU Council now,” the source told TASS on Wednesday.

The EU Council is expected to endorse the decision without a discussion on March 12 and it will then be published in the official journal of the European Union.

In 2014, the EU began to impose sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian citizens in connection with “actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.” Since that time, it has blacklisted 175 people, including citizens of Russia and Ukraine and 44 legal entities, mainly executive bodies and military forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR).

Currently there are several packages of EU sanctions operating against Russia: economic measures, individual restrictive measures and restrictions against Crimea. The anti-Crimean restrictions are a package of targeted sanctions against Crimea, with which the European businesses are banned to support any ties.

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According To Iran News, Europe has been put to the test after Turkey provided free passage for waves of migrants heading westward, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said, describing Ankara’s move as an “attack on the EU.”

The latest move by Turkey to allow migrants to leave its territory over the weekend is an attack “on the European Union and Greece,” and also a “test for the EU,” Kurz said on Tuesday, RT reported.

If European countries cave in to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s pressure, then 13,000 migrants desperately waiting at the EU border will only be “the beginning,” the Austrian chancellor warned.

According to Kurz, the migrants gathered at the Greek border didn’t come from war-ravaged parts of Syria – their exodus was “deliberately organized” by Turkey.

Erdogan himself doesn’t care for refugees because he wants to employ them “as a bargaining chip, a weapon and a pressure tool,” Kurz said. He also warned that a new migration crisis similar to that of 2015 should be averted “at all costs,” while calling on EU members to resist Turkey’s pressure together.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, the leader of the country (Germany) which has taken in over a million asylum seekers in recent years, expressed a similar opinion a short while back. While acknowledging that “Turkey is facing a very big challenge regarding Idlib,” she said it is unacceptable that Erdogan is expressing his dissatisfaction “on the back of the refugees.”

Germany’s former defense minister and the European Commission’s current leader, Ursula von der Leyen, said that allowing potentially millions of migrants to enter Europe “cannot be an answer or solution” to Turkey’s problems in Syria.

Meanwhile, Greek authorities struggling to hold back the wave at their borders have described it as “an invasion.” Greek police fired tear gas at migrants attempting to storm the border fence, while the coast guard tried to stop refugee dinghies by pushing them outside the country’s southern islands.

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