Saudi Arabia ‘a cause Zanganeh Over 1.8m tourists visit Alexander Sokurov, 2512of division’ in Islamic 4 won’t attend Doha Iran’s UNESCO-registered Andrew Lau to attend NATION world: Iranian MP ECONOMY oil freeze talks & HISTORY HERITAGE sites during Noruz ART& CULTURE Fajrajr IIntl.ntl. FilFilmm FFestival WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y Indian expert: PM Modi bound to visit Iran sooner than later 2 12 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 37th year No.12529 Saturday APRIL 16, 2016 Farvardin 28, 1395 Rajab 8, 1437 Iran, Unprecedented Netherlands Rouhani urges OIC to iron out rainfalls cause ink 10 flood in 11 economic divisions through dialogue provinces POLITICAL TEHRAN — President Has- world, IRNA reported. Rouhani remarked in a speech to the leaders desk SOCIETY TEHRAN — 11 san Rouhani has urged OIC “Dialogue and interaction are the starting of Islamic nations convening in Istanbul on desk MOUs nations to stick to dialogue and diplomacy as point for understanding woes and contem- Thursday. provinces in Iran have been struck by flood due to un- ECONOMY TEHRAN — Dutch solutions to all problems inflicting the Islamic porary political issues and resolving them,” 2 desk precedented rainfalls over the past Deputy Foreign Min- days. ister for Economic Affairs Martin Van Drastic addition of water to the den Berg and Iranian Deputy Finance Persepolis downs Esteghlal in Iran Professional League rivers after years of drought and and Economic Affairs Minister, who is water scarcity have resulted in also the president of the Organization See page 11 overflow of the rivers in different for Investment, Economic, and Tech- provinces, Alireza Da’emi, deputy nical Assistance of Iran, Mohammad energy minister for planning, said Khazaei, signed 10 agreements in var- on Thursday. ious economic fields in a meeting in Years of drought have made it Tehran, IRNA reported on Wednesday. possible for illegal constructions in The signed contracts seek to im- riversides and now massive damag- prove future bilateral cooperation in es occurred due to overflow of rivers, energy, finance, banking and insur- Da’emi explained. ance, as well as transportation, health “It must be shocking and difficult and water management besides fi- to believe if I tell you that 8,000 cu- nalizing economic agreements and bic meters of water has entered Dez exchanging experiences and data in Dam (in Khuzestan province) last night different fields. (Wednesday night), while normally this Reviewing the latest situation for amount fluctuates between 60 to 600 economic cooperation in the joint cubic meters,” he stated. meeting, Van den Berg referred to the Meanwhile, Rescue and Relief existing investment opportunities and Chief Nasser Charkhsaz explained capacities in Iran and underlined ex- that many cities in Ilam, Khuz- pansion of bilateral cooperation. estan, and Lorestan provinces have Trade exchange level between the suffered considerable damages two countries stood at $650 million in caused by inundation. the past Iranian calendar year of 1394 Three are dead in Ilam province (ended on March 19, 2016), while Iran’s and a 21-year-old woman is missing, imports of the European country was Mohammad Babaei Charkhsaz said, adding in all eleven more than $600 million and exports to provinces 2,300 persons received re- that destination was around $40 million. IRNA/ lief services. 9 10 Russia shows Iran bent on strengthening ties with neighbors: Rouhani PERSPECTIVE green light to By Ali Kushki POLITICAL TEHRAN — Iran and great powers. Iranian products deskPresident Has- Iran’s agreement with the 5+1 Tehran Times journalist san Rouhani said on Thursday that group (the five permanent mem- to substitute Iran is determined to expand rela- bers of the UN Security Council Turkish goods tions with different countries espe- plus Germany) restored Iranians’ The least Rouhani cially its neighbors. right to enjoy peaceful nuclear MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The creation Iran has always sought to help technology, he added. and his team could of the so-called “green corridors” in Rus- establish stability and peace in the Rouhani highlighted the im- sia for agricultural products from Iran world particularly in the Middle East portance of using opportunities do in OIC summit is aimed primarily at substituting sanc- region, he said during a meeting created after the nuclear deal to tioned Turkish products, Russian Deputy with Iranian residents in Turkey. strengthen economy. ven as there were hopes for a Agriculture Minister Sergei Levin said. “Today, Iran is a stable and safe Iran and the 5+1 finalized the Ere-unity of Islamic nations in the Levin announced the planning of country in the region and there make efforts in line with the coun- Elsewhere, Rouhani noted na- text of the nuclear deal, officially 13th Organization of Islamic Co- “green corridors” for agricultural prod- are good investment opportuni- try’s development and progress. tional unity, guidelines set by the known as the Joint Comprehensive operation (OIC) summit in Istanbul, the ucts from Iran in the Republic of Dag- ties that can be used in the best The president also said expan- Supreme Leader, and capable ne- Plan of Action (JCPOA), in Vienna Saudi regime already took a major jab estan in March. possible way,” he said. sion of Iran-Turkey ties is in the in- gotiators contributed to the con- on July 14, 2015, which went into at the process by including anti-Iran “After the adoption by the Govern- He urged all the Iranians to terest of both countries. clusion of nuclear talks between effect in January, 2016. and anti-Hezbollah articles in the final ment of Russia of sanctions on the im- document of the summit. port of agricultural products from the The articles come as a condemna- Republic of Turkey, the country’s Iran, Russia study educational cooperation tion of attacks on Saudis’ diplomat- ic posts in Tehran and Mashhad and [Russia’s] Ministry of Agriculture is SOCIETY TEHRAN — In a meeting ported. surprisingly Tehran’s backing of terror- actively working on the replacement deskin Moscow on Wednesday Nikonov said both countries’ relations are ism and meddling in the Middle East of these products, first of all, by goods Iranian Education Minister Ali-Asghar Fani and now evolving and therefore a development of countries’ affairs! from Iran. It is this, in the first place, Chairman of the Education Committee of State educational ties and cooperation is of primary Saudis have been claiming Iran that the order to create a ‘green cor- Duma Vyacheslav Nikonov discussed ways for importance for Russia. He further voiced Du- threatens unity and solidarity among ridor’ is linked to,” Levin said as quot- educational cooperation. ma’s support for such cooperation. Islamic nations. ed by the press service of the head As Iran and Russia are strengthening ties it is Fani arrived in Moscow on Tuesday to take However, evidence shows other- of Russia’s North Caucasus Republic essential for both countries’ educational bodies part in an international exhibition on education. wise. A comparative analysis of where of Dagestan. to expand relations as well, Fani said. According to the Iranian embassy in Mos- Saudi Arabia and Iran stand in the Relations between Moscow and An- Fani called for joint competitions between cow, the minister was also scheduled to meet picture should makes it clear how Sau- kara deteriorated following the down- students of both countries, saying it will help Russian Minister of Science and Education Dmi- dis’ claims against Iran are a complete ing of a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft strengthen relations, Tasnim news agency re- Vyacheslav Nikonov Ali-Asghar Fani tri Livanov. over Syria by a Turkish jet on November farce. 24, 2015. In December, Russia introduced While Iran has been defending the a set of economic measures against Tur- Iranian stage artists to commemorate Syrian people and its legitimate gov- key in response to the incident. ernment against barbarian fighters Russia’s trade turnover with Iran 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s passing from the outbreak of war in 2011, Saudi amounts to $700-800 million. Arabia has been feeding these barbar- ARTTEHRAN — pert Qotbeddin Sadeqi, who is gan Performing Arts Insti- ians logistically and financially. deskIranian thespi- also a prominent actor, is the tute. Even Saudis’ friends have acknowl- S. Korea’s Iran ans, stage artists and literti will secretary of the meeting, the In addition, some literati edged this. German Vice Chancellor come together at the Tehran Tehran Independent Theater who have translated works by Sigmar Gabriel, for instance, asked crude imports surge Independent Theater on April announced in a press release Shakespeare into Persian and Saudi Arabia to cut money flowing to over 80% y/y in 23 to commemorate the 400th on Thursday. several artists who have been the Wahhabis which are among most anniversary of the death of the Some short performances involved in projects concern- extremist groups in the world. March English dramatist, William Shake- have been arranged for the ing Shakespeare’s works in their Saudi Arabia continues to insist on speare. meeting, which is also being careers will deliver speeches in toppling the legitimate government South Korea’s imports of Irani- Director and theater ex- supported by the Tamasha- the program. in Syria which still has representative an crude oil surged 81 percent in in the United Nations. Saudis even March from the same month a year threatened to deploy Saudi Army in earlier in the wake of sanctions be- EU visit to Iran designed to reassure banks the country once. ing lifted targeting Tehran’s nuclear The same story holds true in Iraq. program, customs data showed on A high-level EU delegation will visit Iran to reas- It forms part of a detente following Iran’s im- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also visit- Iran, regardless of a notorious history Friday.