WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13323 Tuesday FEBRUARY 5, 2019 Bahman 16, 1397 Jumada Al Awwal 29, 1440 Iran to launch Tehran denounces Japan’s JXTG set for Fajr Film Festival Friendship satellite terror attack on loading of Iranian crude oil heralds development into space 2 pilgrims bus in Iraq 2 after sanctions waiver 4 in Iran: Rouhani 16 Nominee for health minister gets vote of confidence Baghdad to Trump: Iraq POLITICS TEHRAN — Iranian scientific, cultural, and social deputy chief deskLawmakers on Monday of the Planning and Budget Organization. gave their vote of confidence to President The former health minister, Hassan Hassan Rouhani’s health minister nom- Qazizadeh-Hashemi, resigned last month inee, Saeed Namaki. after a row over the budget allocated to During an open session of the par- his department. not a place to ‘watch Iran’ liament, the president took the podium According to the budget bill proposed to defend his choice, who was later ap- for the next fiscal year, 350 trillion rials See page 2 proved with 229 in favor, 25 against and (about $8.3 billion) will be allocated to 4 abstentions. Namaki has served as the the health sector. 50,000 prisoners to be pardoned on Revolution anniversary POLITICS TEHRAN – The Is- officials, Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Lar- desklamic Republic will ijani said many of these inmates will pardon or commute prison terms of be freed and the others’ prison terms fifty thousand inmates on the fortieth will be commuted. anniversary of the Islamic Revolu- Article 110 of the Constitution grants tion, Iran’s top judge announced on the Leader the right to pardon or reduce Monday. the sentences of convicts upon a recom- In a meeting with senior judicial mendation from Judiciary chief. Russia: European recognition of Guaido foreign meddling in Venezuela Nine European nations joined the United people like a dictatorship and wrecking States in recognizing opposition leader its economy, has defied them and said Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim pres- European rulers are sycophantically fol- ident Monday, heightening a global show- lowing President Donald Trump. down over Nicolas Maduro’s socialist rule. Guaido, who leads the National Assem- France, Spain, Germany, Britain, Por- bly, declared himself caretaker leader last tugal, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and the month in a move splitting international Netherlands’ coordinated move came after powers and bringing Venezuelans onto the expiry of an eight-day ultimatum for the streets. File photo Maduro to call a new election. Trump immediately recognized him The Venezuelan leader, accused of but European Union nations were nervous Haider al Abadi Barham Salih Ammar Hakim Hassan Karim al-Kaabi running the OPEC nation of 30 million over the global precedent. 13 ARTICLE Govt, politicians in Afghanistan on the warpath over talks with Taliban ARTICLE Hanif Ghaffari Syed Zafar Mehdi (NUG), which is already in tatters. for inclusion of Afghan government” in the talks. Political analyst By Syed Zafar Mehdi Journalist A delegation of Afghan Taliban from its Qa- While the stage has been set for the high-profile TEHRAN — Afghanistan’s politicians are on from New Delhi the warpath with government over peace talks tar office led by Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai Moscow summit, the political climate in Kabul with the Taliban, a situation that threatens to is expected to hold talks with a motley group of is not favorable. President Ghani’s supporters Business disorder disrupt the fragile political environment in the Afghan politicians in Moscow this week, most believe that if Afghan politicians, many of them Imam’s triumphant run up to general elections in July. likely on Tuesday or Wednesday. Ghani’s rivals in upcoming elections, take part between Europe After refusing to hold talks with Afghan offi- Among those who have confirmed participa- in talks with the Taliban, his government would return and Islamic cials for very long, the insurgent group has finally tion in the talks include former president Ha- risk losing credibility and that would adversely and U.S. agreed to talk to Afghan politicians, excluding mid Karzai, presidential candidate Hanif Atmar, affect his re-election bid. Revolution President Ashraf Ghani, in Moscow this week, former Balkh governor Ata Mohammad Noor, Afghan foreign ministry has termed it a “po- he European Union remains cau- which has created a sense of unease in Kabul’s leader of Hezb e Wahdat Mohammad Mohaqeq, litical drama” and deputy foreign minister Idrees ne day in Paris, during Imam tious in the economic battle with presidential palace. besides others. Zaman took to Twitter to denounce the talks. Khomeini’s exile, there was Tthe White House. U.S. President President Ghani’s supporters feel the decision Noor tweeted that he would attend the talks “From the meetings in the lawns of Peshawar’s Oan important phone call from Donald Trump continues to pursue his of Afghan politicians to hold deliberations with “alongside few prominent Afghan leaders”, adding Governor house to the sittings in Moscow and Tehran. It was Dr. Syed Mohammad protectionist policies in international trade the Taliban, while sidelining the elected Afghan that the talks will be a “pathway towards strength- collective dementia of our political elite. Those Hosseini Beheshti on the line, Imam’s system. This has led to raising concerns government, will provide legitimacy to the group ening peace efforts” in the country. Atmar said he who cannot learn from history are doomed to close aide and the martyr of Haft Tir and serious discontent among the United and undermine the national unity government supports Afghan-owned peace talks and will “push repeat it,” he wrote. 6 tragedy. States’ European partners. “For Imam’s reception, we have ar- Disputes between the United States ranged an elaborate program. Tell Imam and other countries around the world are that we will roll carpet at the airport, continuing on trade and economic issues. Change never comes from within! decorate it with lights, and the parade The fact is that U.S. President Donald By Mahmood Khaghani becomes scarcer, and the energy intensity of ments of energy swaps (eg gas for power) will pass from Mehrabad Airport to Trump intends to exacerbate tensions until TEHRAN — It is often said that change never oil extraction increases. and the Energy Credit Obligation (ECO) as Behesht-e-Zahra by helicopter,” he the presidential elections of 2020. Many comes from within. So I am pleased to report Perhaps the most important message what he describes as Fintech Version Two told Firdousi Pur, who was in charge international experts and analysts believe that the presentation by Chris Cook, Senior conveyed by Mr. Cook was that Iran should (2.0). That is to say, the next generation of Imam’s office in Paris. that a major part of the economic approach Research Fellow of the Institute for Strategy, adopt a 21st Century energy strategy based of financial technology which is currently When Firdousi Pur informed Imam to the world of Trump has an electoral and Resilience and Security, University College not on conventional economics of ‘least $ emerging from the initial blockchain and about it, he listened carefully and with political goal. Many international analysts London at the Iranian and Tehran Cham- or Euro cost’ – but as with Denmark, after coin innovations which comprise Fintech a characteristic grin said: “Go and tell now talk about the conflicts between the bers of Commerce on Sunday about Energy the 1973 oil shock - an assumption of ‘least Version One (1.0). the men that they are not welcoming United States and Europe over imposing Fintech: Introducing the ECO, introduced carbon fuel cost’. That is to say, that Iran There were numerous excellent questions Cyrus to Iran. This is not necessary at sweeping steel and aluminum tariffs as a refreshing innovations in the energy field. should maximize the delivery of energy and much discussion, and one of the key points all! A student has left Iran and the same transatlantic “trade war”. H E. Ambassador Dr. Shams Ardakani, services such as heat/cooling, power, and which emerged was that there is a misconception student is returning to Iran. I want to Conflicts that may extend in the near convened and chaired the meeting, and in transport for any given use of Iran’s raw that the proposed ECO will in some way compete be among my people and go with them, future and affect the widespread relations introducing Mr. Cook made clear his view of energy commodities. with existing financial instruments traded on even if I get trampled upon.” between Washington and Europe. the necessity for a new energy paradigm for He then outlined how innovative risk, the Iran Stock Exchange and particularly on The flight back home after 14 years On the other hand, the authorities of Iran, capable of addressing the era of ‘hard cost, surplus and data sharing agreements the Energy Bourse (IRENEX), which is noted in exile was unarguably the most im- Germany, Britain and France have not oil’ he identifies, as oil that is easy to extract come together with simple energy instru- for innovation in this field. 4 portant journey undertaken by the taken a proper approach to the policies founder of the Islamic revolution. All of the President of the United States. eyes were on him and his arrival in Though politicians such as Emmanuel Tehran, even as nationwide protests Macron, Angela Merkel and Theresa May against the Pahlavi regime and con- seek to manage the situation and prevent Fajr festival frontation between protestors and the exacerbation of tensions with Wash- military forces raged on.