Monthly loading, Iraqi envoy calls for mutual ’s flagbearer London gallery 41112unloading at Iranian 10 co-op to tackle environmental Zahra Nemati arrives displaying works

ECONOMY ports up 4.3% yr/yr SOCIETY issues, dust storms SPORTS in Rio de Janeiro ART& CULTURE by Iranian artists

WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y Velayati: Coup helped Turkey to distinguish ‘friend’ from ‘foe’ 2

12 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 38th year No.12612 Monday AUGUST 1, 2016 Mordad 11, 1395 Shawwal 27, 1437 ‘NICC assists Islam can present ‘true Georgian Norwegian traders company to re-integrate with the import Iranian Iranian market’ face’ of human rights: Iran gas via Armenia POLITICAL — Mo- rights should be presented to the world. man rights” as Islam is a “comprehen- ECONOMY TEHRAN — The EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW desk Haniyeh Sadat Jafariyeh hammad Javad Lari- Talking to reporters in a press con- sive” and “universal” religion. deskNational Iranian Gas jani, head of the Iranian Judiciary De- ference, Larijani said it is possible to He also said that the West adopts dou- Exports Company (NIGEC) signed an Economic relations between Iran and Norway entered partment for Human Rights, said on present the “true face” of human rights ble standards in evaluating the human interim agreement with the private- a new chapter last year, especially after the implemen- Sunday that the “true face” of human to the world in the form of “Islamic hu- rights situation in other countries. 2 ly-owned Georgian International En- tation of the JCPOA. Both countries are doing their best ergy Corporation for the export of 40 to identify new opportunities for trade and economic million cubic meters of gas to Georgia collaboration as well as for reviving previous relations. in a four-month period through Arme- Establishment of the Norwegian-Iranian Chamber of UN Syria envoy holds talks in Tehran nian territories, the managing director Commerce (NICC) in August 2015, visit of Iran’s Deputy For- of NIGEC said on Sunday. eign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi to Oslo by leading an The accorded contract is a short- See page 2 economic-trade delegation in February 2016, and meeting term one which will be put into op- of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Norwegian eration after receiving the required Parliament Speaker Olemic Thommessen in July 2016 stand permits from Armenia, Shana news among the steps taken to fortify bilateral ties. agency quoted NIGEC managing di- In an interview with the Tehran Times, NICC Chairman rector Alireza Kameli as saying. Behrouz Abbasi elaborated on the present-day activities After a meeting with Armenian Min- of the newly-founded body. ister of Energy and Natural Resources Would you give a brief view about the Nor- Levon Yolyan last week, Iranian Oil Min- way-Iran Chamber of Commerce, its establishment ister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that and activities as of becoming operational, as well as an Armenian delegation made a trip to an outlook of its current activities? Iran following Tehran’s request for gas Starting its operation in August 2015, NICC is a pro- transit to Georgia. He further explained fessional, private membership and service organization that Iran signed an agreement with a with worldwide connections to Georgian purchaser for tentative gas createe a unique and exclexclu-u- deal and hopes to start exports of its sive nnetworketwork to promote gas to that country via Armenia. the exchangexchange of informa-informa- Meanwhile, Georgia’s Deputy Ener- tion andand experience,experience, and gy Minister, Mariam Valishvili, told Trend to makeake bubusinesssiness cocon-n- that the ministry has no information on tacts. the conclusion of contracts for the im- See ppageage 4 port of Iranian gas to the country.

Majid Haghdoust “Theoretically, private companies can sign such a contract,” she said.

Mehr/ “The Georgian legislation does not forbid it. However, these contracts must be submitted to the Georgian government for registration.” World Youth , Weber says empirical evidence does Iranian ensemble preparing Saudis not for joint concerts not devalue religious belief answerable to INTERVIEW A: While the answer over- rant of scientific findings so on. New beliefs are anyone: advisor ARTTEHRAN — The World Youth Orchestra all is yes, there are religious or choose to discount called empirically scientif- desk By Javad Heirannia and the Teheran Orchestra are believers who can reason- what empirical evidence ic when we subject them POLITICAL TEHRAN — Hos- scheduled to perform joint concerts at Tehran’s Dr. Eric Thomas Weber, vis- ably answer no. The latter shows. In outlooks like to testing and confirm or desksein Sheikholeslam, from August 10 to 12. iting associate professor of depends upon how they these, which can be called disprove our hypotheses, an advisor to Iranian Foreign Minis- Iranian maestro Loris Tjeknavorian will conduct the perfor- philosophy at the Universi- understand the nature of fundamentalist, evidence learning from experience. ter Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on mances, Iran’s Rudaki Foundation, which is one of the main or- ty of Kentucky, believes that truth and knowledgeedge with t whichccota contradicts Scrip- To emphasize the crucial Sunday that the Saudi kingdom is not ganizers of the concerts, announced in a press release on Sunday. empirical evidence does not respect to religion.gion. ture is disdismissed.m With value of empirical evidence is answerable to anyone, even to princi- negate religious belief. There are people rrespectespect to that kind of not to devalue religious be- ples stated in the Islamic human rights “To emphasize the crucial who believe tthathat thethe rreligiouseligious ooutlook, yes, lief in general. Some believ- document. value of empirical evidence is world is onlyy a few ssciencecience mmust be in- ers think that the truth and “The Saudi politicians and Wahha- not to devalue religious be- thousand yyearsears dependent.dependen We have knowledge are divine. It is bis consider themselves God’s envoy lief in general,” Weber tells old, becausese buildingsbuildin and elec- the radical skeptic, like Des- and believe that they are king and are the Tehran Times in an exclu- of certainn tricity,tricit medicines cartes’s imagined, hyperbolic not answerable to any anyone,” Hossein sive interview. passages of andand cellphones doubter, who tries to believe Sheikholeslam said in a conference on Weber who is also exec- Scripture. as a result of that our eyes are made to “human rights and the Islamic countries”. utive director, trustee, and Such peo- theorizingt deceive us. The non-funda- He said that some countries like Sau- treasurer of the Society of ple either anda testing, mentalist religious believer, di Arabia are interfering and taking ex- Philosophers in America (SO- are igno- revision,re and like C.S. Lewis, holds that treme actions in Bahrain, Yemen, Pales- PHIA), is of the opinion that God gives us senses, brains, tine and Lebanon in spite of signing the Iranian maestro Loris Tjeknavorian conducts a concert in an “a good scientist recognizes and reason in order to put Islamic human rights document. undated photo. human limitations, whether Eric Thomas Weber says: The them to good use, such as Elsewhere, Sheikholeslam said that she is a believer or not.” non-fundamentalist religious in the sciences. The mistake Iran is against the U.S. double standards. Musicians from the World Youth Orchestra under the lead- Following is the full of the believer is open to learning from is to believe we know all or ership of its artistic director Damiano Giuranna will also hold interview: evidence and testing, yet he or control all. A good scientist several master classes and workshops during their stay in Iran. Do you think that the recognizes human limita- Rouhani orders The National Academy of St. Cecilia and the Sapienza Uni- present nature of science is she can engage in scientific study tions, whether she is a be- deferral of versity of Rome are the other organizers of the concert pro- secular? alongside nonbelievers. liever or not. 9 gram. Seventy-five young musicians from the five continents employment founded the World Youth Orchestra in Rome in 2001 just four days after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Doost-Hosseini appointed new examination over gender inequality Iran wins FIBA Asia U18 chairman of National Development Fund POLITICAL TEHRAN — Presi- Championship ECONOMY TEHRAN — Ahmad It emerged many were earning deskdent Hasan Rouhani deskDoost-Hosseini was dozens of times more than the aver- has deferred the administration of a SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran defeated Japan 71-65 at appointed by President Hassan Rouhani age Iranian. Doost-Hosseini holds a national examination over gender in- deskthe 24th FIBA Asia U18 Championship final. as the new chairman of the National master’s degree in electrical engi- equalities, ILNA reported on Sunday. In the match held in Tehran’s Azadi Hall on Sunday, Iran Development Fund, IRNA reported on neering. He has previously served The examination is held nationwide won the title for the third time. Sunday. as the deputy industry minister, the where applicants are screened for va- The Iranian team had already booked a place in the 2017 Doost-Hosseini replaced Safdar Hos- head of the Institute of Standards cancies. FIBA U19 World Championship. seini whose resignation was accepted and Industrial Research of Iran, Men were more likely to win a va- Earlier on the day, South Korea defeated Lebanon 86-63 in on July 2 following a mounting pressure ago when the payslips of some top of- and the secretary general of the cancy before the decision. the bronze medal match. The tournament’s top three teams over astronomical salaries scandal. ficials at state-owned companies sur- Tehran Chamber of Commerce, In- According to the new plan, President advanced to the world championship. The scandal erupted two months faced online. dustries, Mines, and Agriculture. Rouhani has urged a reconsideration of The 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship will be held in job opportunities allocated to women, Cairo, Egypt from 1 to 9 July 2017. calling for more just approaches. TEHRAN TIMES Iran, Oman to discuss boosting health tourism ties Learn English Iran’s Leading International Daily TOURISM TEHRAN — A del- of managers of state-run and private- Oman Expo and the 6th Oman Health Advertising Dept deskegation of Irani- ly-owned organizations active in the Exhibition and Conference, which will 021 - 430 51 450 an traders will travel to Oman in late fields of tour operation, hotel manage- be held concurrently from September Learn English with us at Te l : September to discuss development of ment, passenger transportation, as well 20 to 22 in Muscat, he explained. health tourism relations between the as healthcare and medicine, TPOI official The move aims to pave the way for two countries, an official with the Trade Reza Abbasqoli told ISNA on Sunday. further negotiations in the field of tour- Promotion Organization of Iran said. It is planned that the delegation ism and exchanging experiences be- See page 10 [email protected] The delegation will be comprised to take part in the Food & Hospitality tween the two countries, he added.