IRAN September 2020 FOCUS Issue No.30 A LOOK AT REAL IRAN IN MONTHLY NEWS
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CULTURAL CONSULATE OF THE EMBASSY OF I.R. IRAN – PRETORIA
b Introduction:
Iran: A concise History
“Certain regions of the world are distinguishable as being associated with a particular human culture pattern, which is at once distinctive in character and also sufficiently strong to have survived as a readily identifiable entity over many centuries… Of these regions, Iran is certainly one”. Cambridge History of Iran Known as Persia until 1935, Iran is a country with a history of over 10000 years and home to one of the oldest known civilizations. Persia, or Iran, as the country is more appropriately called, presents a lexicon of human history matched only by a handful of other countries in the world. The name Persia is derived from the Persis, a province in southern Iran from which a southern Iranian tribe, known as the “Persians” created a world empire in the sixth century B.C. The name Iran, pronounced “Eran”, however, comes from the term “Aryan” meaning “the land of nobles”, a name first used about the first millennium B.C. ‘Iran’ as a territory has multiple meanings. Broadly and devoid of any sort of political or territorial claims, one can see it as three regions. First, there is modern Iran, within its international borders. Then there is ‘Greater Iran or / ‘Iran exterior comprising the additional areas that once formed part of the Iranian world at various times in history. Lastly, there are the areas, sometimes very remote from the center, including parts of Europe and India that exhibit Iranian influence. In the seventh century A.D. the new faith, Islam, which was based on Monotheism, offered the Iranian population an excellent opportunity whence for several centuries Iranian arts and acumen crystallized and became paramount in the Islamic world. The following centuries witnessed the development of distinctive traditions in pottery and ceramics, tile work, stucco, brickwork, metalwork, glassware, carpets, textiles, jewelry, music and poetry. In antiquity, and again during the Islamic period, Iran’s position between the West and China helped to transform this land into “a crossroad of civilizations” and one of the great sources of art and thought. Iran’s originality is such that it continuously invented new forms while maintaining its distinct character, as its influence extended over immense regions.
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Contents Policy Ayatollah Khamenei: UAE betrayed the Islamic world ...... 6 Ayatollah Khamenei: Iran owes security to air defense readiness ...... 6 Leader denounces Charlie Hebdo for insulting Islam, Muslims ...... 7 Imam Khamenei issued a message of condolence for the passing of Ayatollah Taskhiri .. 9 Rouhani calls Nigerien president, says abuse of intl. bodies is root cause of current problems ...... 10 JCPOA parties say US cannot invoke UN sanctions snapback under UNSCR 2231 ...... 11 Ahlul Bait (a.s) Foundation of South Africa sends condolences on the passing of Ayatollah Taskhiri ...... 13
Arts & culture Majlis Library showcases rare manuscripts on Ashura in virtual exhibit ...... 15 London festival picks three movies from Iran ...... 16 Iranian photographers win top prizes at Somoni exhibit in Tajikistan ...... 17 Iranian animation “H2ope” to compete in two intl. events ...... 18 Culture minister meets Iran Darrudi at 84th birthday anniversary ...... 19
Society Semnan University to host intl. symposium on COVID-19 ...... 22 Health ministry approves responsible tourism plan ...... 23 National women’s health week to highlight COVID-19 ...... 24 Iran ranks tenth on UNESCO World Heritage list ...... 25
Science & technology Iran is pioneer in biotechnology, ICT, and artificial intelligence in region: VP ...... 28 Iran ranks second worldwide for scientific growth ...... 29 Iran among world's top clusters of science and technology ...... 31
Sports Iranian swimmer Asghari sets new Guinness record ...... 34 Skocic will remain Iran head coach: Spox ...... 35
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Iran to partake at Women Futsal World Tournament ...... 36 A top foreign coach to lead Iran at Olympics ...... 37
Economy Over €1b saved through domestic production since March 2019 ...... 39 Dairy export a privilege for Iran to boost regional trade ...... 40 Annual pistachio output expected to rise up to 55,000 tons ...... 42 Passenger car manufacturing up 20% ...... 43 TEDPIX rises 5,847 points on Sunday ...... 44
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5 Policy
CULTURAL CONSULATE OF THE EMBASSY OF I.R. IRAN – PRETORIA
6 Ayatollah Khamenei: UAE betrayed the Islamic world September 1, 2020
TEHRAN – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, asserted on Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made a treason against the Islamic world by establishing ties with the Zionist regime.
“The United Arab Emirates made a treason to the world of Islam, the Arab nations and the regional countries, and also to Palestine,” the Leader stated.
“Of course,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted, “This betrayal will not last long.”
Ayatollah Khamenei: Iran owes security to air defense readiness
TEHRAN - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that Iran owes its security to preparedness and vigilance of the Air Defense Force.
“Send my greeting to vigilant staff of the country’s Air Defense; security of the country owes to preparedness and vigilance of the Air Defense,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a message on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the Air Defense Force.
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The Leader added, “Our religiously devoted people praise your incessant efforts, be appreciative of this.”
Leader denounces Charlie Hebdo for insulting Islam, Muslims September 8, 2020
TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has condemned the republication of cartoons insulting the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH) by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, saying the move once again exposed the enmity of the political, cultural centers of the Western world toward Islam.
“The unforgivable sin of a French magazine in insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH) once against exposed the enmity and the vile spite of the political and cultural centers of the Western world toward Islam and the Muslim community,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a message on Tuesday.
He said freedom of expression is misused by some French politicians to not condemn such great crime. This is “completely wrong and demagogic,” the Leader noted.
The deep anti-Islamic policies of the Zionists and arrogant governments are the cause of such hostile moves, said Ayatollah Khamenei.
“This move at this time could also be a measure to distract the nations and governments of West Asia from the sinister plots of the United States and the Zionist regime for the region.”
“Muslim nations, especially West Asian nations, should maintain vigilance regarding the issues of this sensitive region and never forget the hostility of Western politicians and rulers towards Islam and Muslims,” the Leader concluded.
In a reckless, provocative move, the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on September 2 republished the same cartoons about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that prompted a deadly attack on the magazine in 2015.
The cartoons were republished so as to mark the start of the terrorism trial of people accused as accomplices in the attack. The magazine posted the cartoons online on September 1 and they appeared in print the next day.
13 men and a woman accused of providing the attackers with weapons and logistics went on trial on charges of terrorism.
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Twelve people, including some of France’s most famous cartoonists, were killed on January 7, 2015, when two French-born brothers of Algerian descent, Said and Cherif Kouachi, went on a gun rampage at Charlie Hebdo’s offices in Paris.
The brothers identified themselves as belonging to the terrorist group al-Qaeda and cited “avenging the prophet” as their reason for the attack. The attack touched off a wave of killings claimed by Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group across Europe.
On January 9, 2015, Said and Cherif’s friend, Amedy Coulibaly, took hostages and killed four people at a kosher supermarket in Paris. Coulibaly and the Kouachi brothers, who were in contact during the attack, were killed in standoffs with the police.
10 months later, in November 2015, a group of Daesh gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people and injured more than 400 at multiple sites across Paris, which became the deadliest of the attacks.
Throughout the world, many Muslims see the publication of the cartoons as a renewed provocation by Charlie Hebdo, which has a history of publishing material considered racist and anti-Muslim.
Tehran on September 3 strongly condemned the French magazine, saying any insult against the prophet of Islam and other divine prophets is not acceptable at all.
“The French magazine’s offensive move, which has been repeated on the pretext of freedom of speech, has hurt the feelings of the world’s monotheists, is a provocative move and an insult to the Islamic values and beliefs of over one billion Muslims in the world,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement.
Khatibzadeh defended freedom of speech but also suggested that the issue regarding the Charlie Hebdo controversy is not about free speech but it’s about an attack against the “peaceful coexistence of human beings”.
“Unlike the offensive move made by the magazine, freedom of speech is a great value which must be used in a constructive way in line with the peaceful coexistence of human beings and further understanding among religions,” the spokesman said, according to the Foreign Ministry website.
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9 Imam Khamenei issued a message of condolence for the passing of Ayatollah Taskhiri
Message of condolence from Imam Khamenei issued a message of condolence for the passing of the diligent scholar and proponent of Islam and Shia, Ayatollah Taskhiri. The full text of his message is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful We were saddened to learn that the diligent scholar and proponent of Islam and Shia, Hujjatul Islam Mr. Haj Sheikh Muhammad Ali Taskhiri (may Allah have mercy on him), has passed away. The record of this tireless, indefatigable man in performing various outstanding services in the international Islamic community is truly brilliant. His steadfast determination and motivated soul even overcame his physical disabilities in recent years and enabled him to continue his effective and blessed involvement wherever it was necessary and useful.
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10 His responsibilities and services inside the country are also a separate and valuable chapter of this virtuous, committed cleric’s efforts. I offer my condolences to his family, as well as to all his colleagues and friends, and ask God for His mercy, forgiveness, and divine approval for him. Sayyid Ali Khamenei August 18, 2020
Rouhani calls Nigerien president, says abuse of intl. bodies is root cause of current problems September 1, 2020
TEHRAN – In a telephone conversation on Monday with Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou whose country takes over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for September, President Hassan Rouhani said abuse of international bodies by certain countries is the root cause of current problems in the world.
“I’m very happy that Iran and Niger have the common view that international relations must be based on justice and lofty human values, which are in turn rooted in independence, solidarity and dignity,” Rouhani said in the phone call.
Niger along with 12 other non-permanent and permanent members of the UN Security Council voted against extending arms embargo against Iran on August 14. Also a week later, Niger along with the other 12 members wrote separate letters to UN Security Council president denouncing the return of UN sanctions against Iran as requested by the U.S. which left the nuclear deal – JCPOA - more than two years ago.
Only the Dominican Republic sided with the U.S. at the Council to extend arms embargo against Iran.
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Rouhani congratulated Niger on rotating presidency over the UN Security Council for the current month and said, “Iran and Niger have always had positive and constructive cooperation in international bodies including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the area of independence and neutrality in line with the achievement of these bodies’ objectives.”
The Iranian president added, “I am sure that the Republic of Niger, as a member state to the Non-Aligned Movement, will act completely independently and professionally during its presidency over the UN Security Council and will prevent the abuse of the status of the United Nations and the Security Council for the United States’ excessive demands and unilateralism, just as it took a very constructive stance against the illegal resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran.”
For his part, Issoufou said that Niger has always attached importance to human values in international cooperation and will continue this path in its performance at the Security Council.
Issoufou also called for expansion of relations with Iran.
JCPOA parties say US cannot invoke UN sanctions snapback under UNSCR 2231
London, Sept 2, IRNA – The participant states of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reaffirmed on Tuesday evening that the United
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States unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA on May 8, 2018 and therefore cannot invoke the UN sanctions snapback under UNSC resolution 2231.
The full text of the statement follows:
A meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) took place in Vienna on Tuesday 1st September. Under the terms of the JCPOA, the Joint Commission is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement. The Joint Commission was chaired, on behalf of EU High Representative Josep Borrell, by EEAS Secretary General Helga-Maria Schmid and was attended by representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran at the level of Political Directors/Deputy Foreign Ministers.
All participants reaffirmed the importance of preserving the agreement recalling that it is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture, as endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015). Full implementation of the agreement by all sides remains crucial.
In light of recent discussions in the UN Security Council in New York concerning the issue of the attempted reinstatement of previously lifted UN sanctions, the participants reaffirmed that the United States unilaterally announced its cessation of participation in the JCPOA on 8 May 2018 and that it had not participated in any JCPOA-related activities subsequently. Participants reconfirmed that it therefore could not be considered as a participant State. In this regard, participants also reaffirmed their various statements and communications made previously at the UN Security Council including that of the High Representative of 20 August as the Coordinator of the JCPOA to the effect that the US cannot initiate the process of reinstating UN sanctions under UNSC resolution 2231.
Participants welcomed the Joint Statement of Iran and the IAEA dated 26 August, the implementation of which has already started. In this context, they recalled the important role of the IAEA as the sole impartial and independent international organization responsible for the monitoring and verification of nuclear non-proliferation commitments.
The Joint Commission addressed nuclear as well as sanctions lifting issues under the agreement. Experts will continue discussions on all issues of concern.
Participants reiterated the importance of nuclear non-proliferation projects, in particular the Arak Modernization Project and the stable isotope project in Fordow. Taking into account the potential consequences of the US decision in May to end the Arak waiver, participants reiterated their strong support and collective responsibility for the continuation of the project.
The meeting took place against the background of the coronavirus pandemic. Participants expressed their solidarity with all countries affected and with their efforts to address the outbreak. The Joint Commission had not been able to convene recently due to relevant travel restrictions.
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13 Ahlul Bait (a.s) Foundation of South Africa sends condolences on the passing of Ayatollah Taskhiri
AHLUL BAIT (AS) FOUNDATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (AFOSA) sent its condolences on the passing of Ayatollah Taskhiri. The foundation pronounced him a great scholar, thinker, poet, author of hundreds of books and articles and a legendary personality of our times. He was labelled a caller of unity and a defender of the school of thought whose most important lesson was that one can be a promotor of Unity among different Islamic schools of thought and even proximity among diverse faith traditions, while simultaneuosly being a firm believer and a staunch supporter of one’s own Aqidah. Ayatollah had a passion for the propagation of the message of Ahlul Bait (a.s) and was one of the founders of the Ahlul Bait (a.s) World Assembly (international body representing the followers of Ahlul Bait) and was the First Secretary General of this Assembly from 1990 to 1999. It is through this structure that he was intimately involved in the early growthof the School of Ahlul Bait (a.s) in South Africa.
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14 Art & Culture
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15 Majlis Library showcases rare manuscripts on Ashura in virtual exhibit
TEHRAN – The Majlis Library, Museum and Documentation Center in Tehran has showcased a selection of rare manuscripts on Ashura in a virtual exhibit.
Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, the day upon which Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions were martyred in Karbala as a result of their valiant stand against the injustices of the oppressive Umayyad dynasty in 680 CE.
The collection is a great source for researchers and those interested in manuscripts on Ashura, the library said in a press release issued on Tuesday.
Each day, pictures of one or two more manuscripts will be added to the exhibition, which can be found at www.ical.ir.
Photo: A rare manuscript on Ashura on view at a virtual exhibit launched by the Majlis Library, Museum and Documentation Center in Tehran.
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16 London festival picks three movies from Iran September 9, 2020
TEHRAN – The Iranian movies “180° Rule”, “Witness” and “Asho” will go on screen at the BFI London Film Festival running from October 7 to 18.
“180° Rule” by Farnush Samadi will be screened in the Debate Section. The movie features a tragedy, which strikes at the heart of a wedding in the mountains overlooking Tehran.
In “180° Rule”, a teacher from Tehran makes a choice that changes her family’s structure and puts her on a painful path to atonement.
Actress Sahar Dowlatshahi gives an extraordinary performance emphasizing the violence of the patriarchal strictures endured by mothers. Her silence speaks volumes and its impact is devastating.
The film’s title is a cinematic principle for maintaining a spatial balance between two characters on the screen.
The short film “Witness” by Ali Asgari is an entry to the Secrets and Lies Section. It shows a mother who goes to a shopping mall and leaves her young daughter waiting in her car. Helping an elderly woman, she sets a chain of events in motion.
“Asho” by Jafar Najafi will be screened in the This Is the Rhythm of My Life Section.
The film is a heart-warming short focusing on Asho, a cheerful young shepherd who loves films, dreams of being an actor and one day marrying Jodie Foster.
The BFI London Film Festival will feature over 50 virtual premieres, free online events and cinema screenings across the land.
Photo: A scene from “Witness” by Ali Asgari.
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17 Iranian photographers win top prizes at Somoni exhibit in Tajikistan
TEHRAN – Iranian photographers Amin Mahdavi and Mehrzad Maqsudian have won top prizes of the 1st Somoni International Exhibition of Photography in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The exhibition, which announced its winners on Sunday, was organized under the auspices of the Photographic Society of America (PSA) and Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP).
Mahdavi was awarded the FIAP Gold Medal for his photo “Bold” depicting a boy who is carrying a kid on his shoulders in a northern Iranian rural region.
Earlier in 2018, the photo won the FIAP Gold Medal in the Open – Monochrome category at the 2nd Danube Digital Circuit in Belarus.
It also received the PSA Gold Medal in the Open Monochrome category at the MNE PBK CIRCUIT 2018 in Macedonia.
Maqsudian was presented a FIAP Ribbon for “The Boy” that is a portrait of a boy gazing at the camera.
Iranian photographers Amir-Hossein Honarvar, Mahmud Kameli, Amir-Ali Navadeshahla, Seyyed Mohammad-Javad Sadri and Mehdi Zabolabbasi also received honorable mentions.
The PSA Gold Medal went to Jo Kelly from England for the photo “Headshot”, while Daniel Lybaert from the Netherlands won a FIAP Ribbon for “Treinmachinist”.
Italian photographer Adriano Favero was honored with FPC Bronze Medal for his photo “The Brothers”.
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A jury composed of Yulia Artemyeva, Djordje Vukicevic and Viktor Kanunnikov judged a large number of submissions from across the world to select the winners.
Photo: “Bold” by Iranian photographer Amin Mahdavi won the FIAP Gold Medal at the 1st Somoni International Exhibition of Photography in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Iranian animation “H2ope” to compete in two intl. events
TEHRAN – Hoorakhsh Studio, an animation and game studio in Tehran, announced on Wednesday that its short 3D movie “H2ope” about the water crisis will be competing in two international festivals.
The animation co-directed by Ashkan Rahgozar and Negin Khajei will be competing in the Bucheon International Animation Festival, which will take place in the South Korean city from October 23 to 27.
It will also be competing in the Chaniartoon, Chania Cartoon and Animation Festival that will be held on the Greek island of Crete in Chania from September 11 to 20.
Rahgozar is the director of the acclaimed movie “The Last Fiction”, which was among the 32 submitted for consideration in the animated feature film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
This was the first Iranian animation ever selected as a submission to the race.
“The Last Fiction” recounts a story from Persian poet Ferdowsi’s epic masterpiece Shahnameh. It is about Zahak’s treacherous rise to the throne in Jamshid in Persia. The young and naive hero Afaridoun will have to save the kingdom and its people from darkness. But he must first conquer his own demons in this portrayal of Persian mythology that reveals human nature.
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An all-star cast including Parviz Parastui, Leila Hatami, Hamed Behdad, Baran Kowsari, Ashkan Khatibi, Akbar Zanjanpur and Farrokh Nemati have lent their voices to the characters in the production.
The world-renowned Iranian vocalist Shahram Nazeri has sung the closing credits song in the movie, which has been acclaimed at several prestigious Iranian and international events.
Photo: A poster for Iranian animation “H2ope”.
Culture minister meets Iran Darrudi at 84th birthday anniversary September 5, 2020
TEHRAN – Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi met Iran Darrudi in her house on Friday, wishing the surrealist painter health and happiness on her 84th birthday anniversary.
He also expressed hope that her plan to set up a museum to embrace her works will be accomplished soon, the ministry announced in a press release published on Saturday
The Tehran Municipality has allocated a large area to establish a museum for the artist in the city.
Darrudi also thanked the minister for the visit and said that she loves Iran and the Iranian people, and enjoys being honored by the love and kindness of people.
“It took 5 years to receive the official certificate of the museum, and I hope that I will be alive to see the opening of the museum,” she added.
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Born in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, Darrudi has studied at Ecole Superier des Beaux-Arts and the École du Louvre in Paris and the Royal Academy of Brussels. She also received education on television direction and production at the RCA Institute in New York City.
A few years ago, she returned to her homeland and the Tehran Municipality promised her to establish a museum in the Yusefabad district to preserve the works she had brought with herself from Paris.
In addition, Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) honored her with the first Eternal Tile, which was embedded on the wall of her house in Tehran in May 2017.
The idea to install the tiles on the houses of contemporary artists, literati and religious figures was initiated by the CHTHO Office for Inscription of Properties and Revitalization of Intangible and Natural Heritage.
The tile bearing the name and title of the celebrity is installed on the façade of his/her house. It also carries the year the artist began to live in the house.
“Over my life, I have regularly proved how much I love Iran, its great history and my countrymen; I was born a lover and I have honestly expressed my love of Iran and its great history,” Darrudi had said.
“I’m thankful for my people’s affection to me and I want to know that I merit your love; I’ve been offering service fairly over all these years to acquaint my people with contemporary art,” she added.
She talked about her faith in her Iranian identity and said, “My name is Iran and by selecting this name for me, they have assigned me a great duty.”
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21 Society
CULTURAL CONSULATE OF THE EMBASSY OF I.R. IRAN – PRETORIA
22 Semnan University to host intl. symposium on COVID-19 September 1, 2020
TEHRAN – Semnan University and the Iranian Biological Society are scheduled to hold an online international symposium on biological, medical, and basic science approaches toward COVID-19 in light of the global crisis.
The conference will be held on September 10-11 within the framework of the 21st National Congress and the 9th International Congress of Biology.
In this symposium, national and international scientists and researchers will share their knowledge on the concepts of biology, medicine, and basic sciences to the pandemic.
COVID-19 pandemic in the world and in Iran, genetics of SARS-cov-2 virus, virus in growth medium and vaccine production, mechanisms of coronavirus activity, coronavirus identification, virus neutralization are among the topics to be discussed in this symposium.
Molecular treatment of COVID-19, chemical and herbal drugs against the virus, and theoretical and simulation approaches to the disease are other topics that will be discussed.
CULTURAL CONSULATE OF THE EMBASSY OF I.R. IRAN – PRETORIA
23 Health ministry approves responsible tourism plan September 6, 2020
TEHRAN – The health ministry has approved the tourism ministry’s proposed plan on responsible tourism for safe traveling during the coronavirus pandemic.
“In fact, such kind of the trips will not endanger people’s health or create additional problems for the medical staff,” Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Ali- Asghar Mounesan said on Saturday.
The health ministry is of the opinion that traveling on a large scale without supervision and proper planning causes the spread of the coronavirus, he added.
Therefore, the tourism ministry and the health ministry are emphasizing that the trips should be done under the supervision of the two ministries, Mounesan noted.
On Wednesday he said that people’s health is the ministry’s top priority and the ministry is in full coordination with the Ministry of Health, which is at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus.
“One of the solutions that can help us in the time of coronavirus is adopting smart travels or responsible travels.”
The minister also announced that the tourism ministry is planning for issuing visas for foreign group tours.
Foreign tourists need to provide proof they have tested negative for coronavirus to gain entry, and they need to follow health protocols while they stay in the country and they are allowed to visit tourism centers and facilities under the supervision of this ministry, which fully complies with health protocols, he explained.
Last month, Mounesan proclaimed: “If the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is contained, all the tourism businesses across the country will have the capacity to fully resume their activities both in domestic and foreign markets.”
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“Many tourism projects have been completed, or are being implemented, showing that a very good capacity has been created in the field of tourism in the country and [this trend] should not be stopped,” he explained.
According to Mounesan, 2,451 tourism-related projects worth 1,370 trillion rials (around $32 billion) are currently being implemented across the country that “signals a prosperous future for Iran’s tourism sector.”
In August, the tourism minister said the coronavirus pandemic should not bring traveling to a complete standstill. “Corona is a fact, but can the virus stop tourism? Certainly not. For us, the coronavirus is a new experience in dealing with crises that teaches tourism experts around the world how to deal with such a disaster, and thankfully governments are turning this into an opportunity for better planning.”
Iran expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, it aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019).
National women’s health week to highlight COVID-19 September 6, 2020 - 17:28
TEHRAN – The national women's health week will be held in the last week of the Iranian calendar month of Mehr (September 23-October 22) in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and with a focus on “women's health in coronavirus era.”
The health ministry has assigned each day of the week with a special theme as follows:
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Thursday, October 15: women pioneers in self-care and family -protection against COVID-19
Friday, October 16: honoring devoted women in the health care system as the vanguard of coronavirus prevention and treatment
Saturday, October 17: healthy lifestyle for women with an emphasis on obesity as COVID-19 cause
Sunday, October 18: women's reproductive health during COVID-19 epidemic
Monday, October 19: women and mental health in COVID-19 outbreak
Tuesday, October 20: the role of women in promoting credible educational resources, information and preventing the spread of misconceptions about prevention and treatment
Wednesday, October 21: prevention of occupational and social damages to women during coronavirus epidemic.
Iran ranks tenth on UNESCO World Heritage list September 8, 2020
TEHRAN - Iran ranks 10th in the world in terms of the number of historical monuments and sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The director of the World Heritage Affairs Office at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Farhad Azizi announced that Iran is ranked 10th regarding the number of historical monuments and sites registered in the UNESCO World Heritage list, and upgrading this position can be very effective in the development of tourism in the country, Mehr reported on Monday.
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Before the Islamic Revolution, Persepolis, Naghsh-e Jahan Square, and Choghaznabil were the only three UNESCO-listed monuments, but today the number has been increased this number to 24 historical sites, he added.
Azizi informed that within the next two weeks, a UNESCO Assessor will pay a visit to the Uraman region in western Kordestan province, which is a candidate for becoming a World Heritage site in 2021.
The global registration of the Uraman region is a good opportunity to introduce the historical and scenic areas of Iran, he said.
The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20).
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27 Science & Technology
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28 Iran is pioneer in biotechnology, ICT, and artificial intelligence in region: VP September 1, 2020
TEHRAN – Iran is playing the leading role in the region in the fields of fintech, ICT, stem cell, aerospace, and is unrivaled in artificial intelligence, Sourena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology, told the Tehran Times in an exclusive interview on Saturday.
He went on to say that in terms of biotechnology Iran is at the forefront by producing 24 biomedicines.
U.S. sanctions caused exports of knowledge-based companies to decline three years ago, however, it has returned to growth and is projected to reach the pre- sanctions level of more than $1 billion by the end of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 20, 2021), he emphasized.
Production of COVID-19 test kits
Referring to the domestic production of COVID-19 test kits, Sattari highlighted that some of the knowledge-based companies reached a production capacity of more than 200-300 thousand diagnostic kits per day.
Currently, 6 companies have been approved to produce these kits, and a newly- approved company recently was tasked with the production of 1.5 million kits, he added.
Export-oriented firms supported
“We have so far sent medical and self-protective equipment to many countries for fighting COVID-19,” Sattari said, adding, there are 30 centers in other countries to follow up on export confirmation, as some knowledge-based products take up to 10 years to receive export approval.
“So far, over six medicines have received export confirmation in Russia and are being exported, he noted, stating that, due to the complexities of exporting
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29 knowledge-based products, we have prepared plans to support export-oriented startups.
Potential to produce eco-friendly cars
“We are working on smart and electric cars and two active sections are conducting research and development in this field, and we are seriously pursuing it.
Knowledge-based companies have the potential to produce eco-friendly cars, but it takes time to make changes in the industry.”
Knowledge-based economy is key to success
Sattari went on to emphasize that “we are vigorously developing technology centers and expanding all knowledge-based elements, concluding. We have made a serious change in science and technology, but in the next ten years, these changes must be evident in people's daily lives, more importantly, moving towards smart cities.”
Iran ranks second worldwide for scientific growth
TEHRAN – With a scientific growth rate of 10.4 percent in 2019, Iran ranked second among the top 25 countries in the world, next to China with a growth rate of 12.9 percent.
According to the Web of Science website, Iran ranked 21 in the world for the highest scientific productivity in 2012. In 2015, the country placed 19 and ranked 18 in 2016, and since 2017, for three consecutive years, it remained 16th in the world.
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In 2000, Iran's share of scientific productivity was about 0.1 percent, which reached about 2 percent with a 20-fold increase in both Scopus and WoS citation databases.
According to statistics released by the International Web of Science Database, Iran's citation rank has always been on the rise over the last eight years, from 24 in 2012 to 16 in 2019.
Iran ranks first in terms of the number of universities in the region and among Islamic countries, according to Shanghai Ranking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2020.
Two Iranian universities have been ranked among the top 100 universities in Asia, according to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities for July 2020.
Moreover, 7 Iranian universities have been listed among best 1000 worldwide; including, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Sharif University of Technology, Tarbiat Modares University, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology, came in 539th, 656th, 826th, 908th, 915th, 916th places, respectively, according to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities.
In June, Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2020 ranked five Iranian universities among the top 100 universities worldwide.
The Center for Science and Technology Studies Leiden Ranking has placed 36 Iranian universities in the list of over 1,000 major universities worldwide in 2020 compared with 26 universities in 2019.
Also, five Iranian universities have been placed among the world’s top 1,000 universities announced by the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2021.
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Iran among world's top clusters of science and technology September 9, 2020
TEHRAN – Iran ranked 43rd among 100 most vibrant clusters of science and technology (S&T) worldwide for the third consecutive years, according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020 report.
Every year, the Global Innovation Index ranks the innovation performance of more than 130 economies around the world. The GII 2020 with a theme of “Who Will Finance Innovation?” discusses how the state of innovation finance is changing rapidly. This chapter reveals and analyzes the annual GII innovation rankings—by top-performing economies, regions, and innovation components.
The total ranking of Iran is 67 in the GII 2020 report, which was 61 in 2019.
The top 100 clusters are located in 26 countries, 6 of which including Brazil, China, India, Iran, Turkey, and Russia represent middle-income economies. While, the U.S. continues to host the largest number of clusters (25), followed by China (17), Germany (10), and Japan (5).
Iran also experienced a three-level improvement compared to 2019.
Tehran also ranked 9th among top regions (clusters) of science and technology in middle-income countries, surpassing Berlin, Zurich, Bangalore, Delhi, Lausanne, Vienna, Istanbul, Sao Paulo, Ankara, and Mumbai.
In 2020, Tokyo-Yokohama is the top-performing cluster again due to the excellent performance of this region in patent registration.
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The ranking published by the WIPO, which is the global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information, and cooperation. It is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 191 member states.
It aims to lead the development of a balanced and effective international intellectual property system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all.
Iranian scientific journals among highly cited worldwide
Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry (JNSC) affiliated to Islamic Azad University was ranked forty-fifth among 103 top nanotechnology journals in Journal Citation Reports 2020 published by Clarivate Analytics.
Some 12 specialized journals in the field of nanotechnology are published in English in the country.
The JCR 2019 ranking report includes 42 journals from Iran, including the Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry with an impact factor of 4.077.
Iranian scientific journals such as the Journal of Nanostructures (affiliated to Kashan University), Nanomedicine Journal (Mashhad University of Medical Sciences), Journal of Nanoanalysis (Tehran University of Medical Sciences) were listed in the ESCI index of WOS database.
Moreover, the Journal of Water and Environmental Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine Research Journal, and International Nanoscience and Nanotechnology were also listed in the Scopus Index.
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34 Iranian swimmer Asghari sets new Guinness record September 5, 2020
TEHRAN – Iranian female swimmer Elham Sadat Asghari swam 10km in the Oman Sea wearing hijab to set a new Guinness World Record.
She swam with one hand for four hours and 59 minutes to register a new record.
Asghari had also registered Guinness World Record Certificate after registering her 5,488 meters swimming both in the Caspian Sea and a swimming pool in Tehran in 2019. It’s the farthest swim whilst wearing handcuffs.
Back in 2017, the 37-year-old Iranian sportswoman completed the challenge of swimming handcuffed for more than three hours non-stop in the Persian Gulf waters off the coast of the southwestern port city of Bushehr, located 1,050 kilometers (652 miles) south of the capital Tehran.
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35 Skocic will remain Iran head coach: Spox
TEHRAN – Dragan Skocic will remain as head coach of the Iranian national football team, the spokesman of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) Amir Mehdi Alavi said, ending days of speculation about the Croatian coach future.
In an interview with Iran’s state-run TV on Friday, Alavi announced that both parties are confident about continuing the cooperation.
“Mr. Skocic has a contract with the Iranian football federation and he will stay on as the head coach of the national team,” Alavi said, however, he did not disclose the duration of Skocic’s contract.
The 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled this year was postponed to 2021 by the joint decision made FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Local media reported that the FFIRI is going to part way with Skocic and his staff due to the lack of official matches for a long time.
“Skocic and his technical staff have attended many matches in Iran Professional League (IPL) and Hazfi Cup and also followed all the other matches through video analysis,” Alavi added.
The spokesman of the football federation also explained about the complaint that had been lodged by Sanat Naft club against Skocic, regarding his departure from the Abadan based club before joining the national team.
“FIFA has announced a verdict on the matter, and the FFIRI is trying to resolve the issue so that Skocic can continue to work with ease. The head coach of the national team is definitely supported by the football federation,” Alavi concluded.
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36 Iran to partake at Women Futsal World Tournament
TEHRAN – The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has accepted to send Iran’s women futsal team to the Women Futsal World Tournament.
The competition is scheduled to be held in Brazil in December but will likely be postponed due to coronavirus.
Iranian women, two-time Asian champions, have participated in the prestigious tournament three times so far.
Iran and Japan will be Asian’s representatives in the tournament.
The Women's Futsal World Tournament is an international women's futsal competition for national teams, organized by national associations and the World Futsal Association.
The first edition took place in 2010 in Spain and was won by Brazil. The tournament has known no other winners besides Brazil, after the country's victories in the first six editions.
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A top foreign coach to lead Iran at Olympics September 5, 2020
TEHRAN - Technical committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran Volleyball Federation (IRIVF) on Saturday approved the federation will appoint a top foreign coach for the National Team.
The new head coach will be appointed within the next two weeks, the Committee confirmed, iranvolleyball.com reported.
The first session on choosing the new head coach was held in the federation’s headquarters with the participation of the committee members and experts.
IRIVF president Mohammadreza Davarzani has already said Iran aim to finish among top four teams in the Tokyo Games, that’s why the appointment is taking so long.
The Committee emphasized that the new head coach should have experienced the Olympic Games.
It was also decided the Iranian coaches should be appointed as assistants in the National Team.
The second session will be held on Wednesday.
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39 Over €1b saved through domestic production since March 2019 September 6, 2020
TEHRAN – Relying on domestic production in various industrial sectors has saved Iran €1.045 billion in a 17-month period since the beginning of a program for the promotion of domestic production in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19) up to August 21, ISNA reported.
According to the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry data, in the mentioned period, 11 expert desks have been held for the promotion of domestic production in various industrial sectors.
As reported, the steel and copper industries had the biggest share in the mentioned figure with €440 million worth of domestic products, followed by the automotive and motorcycle industries with €340 million.
The share of the oil, gas, and petrochemicals and telecommunication equipment, electricity, and electronics were 140 and 120 million euros, respectively.
Holding 10 expert desks for the promotion of domestic production in the previous Iranian calendar year led to saving €979 million for the country.
Three of the mentioned desks were for the auto industry, and the fourth desk was held in the fourth Iranian calendar month of Tir (July 21) during which it was announced that €66 million worth of new parts and equipment are set to be indigenized in the current year.
Back in January, Deputy Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister for Industry Affairs Mehdi Sadeqi Niaraki said the main focus of the ministry’s programs for the current year will be on the domestic production boom.
The official noted that the Industry Ministry’s programs for the promotion of domestic production are going to save $10 billion for the country in the next two years.
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Since the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iran to pressure the country’s economy, Iran has been taking all necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the sanctions and counter the U.S. actions.
Improving and boosting domestic production has been one of the major strategies that Iran has been following in the past two years in order to increase its independence.
Dairy export a privilege for Iran to boost regional trade September 6, 2020
Iran, which used to be a big importer of dairy products, has now become an exporter of these products, especially to the regional markets.
The country is currently the second exporter of milk and dairy products in the region, after Turkey.
As announced by the secretary of Iran Dairy Industries Union, close to seven million tons of milk is produced in the country annually, 450,000 tons of which valued at $770 million is exported as the dairy products.
Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia are Iran’s major dairy importers, while Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Japan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are some other export destinations.
According to the latest report released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran exported 152,574 tons of dairy products valued at $153.74 million during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-July 21).
The IRICA report said that Iranian dairy products have been exported to 30 countries including Canada, Germany, Britain, Russia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and New Zealand during the mentioned time span.
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Through importing $75.99 million of the mentioned goods, Iraq was the major export destination of Iranian dairy products in the first four months of the present year, while Afghanistan and Pakistan came as the second and third export markets, through importing $18.82 million, and $13.41 million of the products, respectively.
Considering the West Asian and North African markets, Iran’s food sector has played some significant role in the country’s non-oil exports, as the exports of foodstuff accounted for 14 percent, and 15 percent of non-oil exports in the Iranian calendar year 1397 (March 2018-March 2019), and 1398 (March 2019- March 2020), respectively.
While the share of foodstuffs in non-oil exports is considerable, there are also potential and capacities for boosting it, and the dairy sector can play an important role in this due.
Iran’s dairy export especially to the neighboring states is in fact a privilege for the county’s trade in the region.
Exporting these products to 30 countries during the first four months of the current year, despite all limitations because of the U.S. sanctions and also coronavirus pandemic and closure of the borders, is good news.
As previously reported by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI), the production of cow milk in Iran has risen three percent during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-June 20) from its previous quarter.
SCI has put the quarterly cow milk output at 1.9 million tons.
The country also plans to boost its annual milk output to 11 million tons in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20, 2021).
Although in the way to increase its dairy exports, Iran should adopt some key strategies, among them it could be referred to more diversification in the products, preparing better export infrastructure given that these products are highly spoilable, combining the traditional production methods with the modern ones, and finding more export destinations.
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42 Annual pistachio output expected to rise up to 55,000 tons September 7, 2020
TEHRAN - The Chairman of Iran Dried Fruit Exporters Association (IDFEA) said the country’s pistachio production is expected to increase by up to 55,000 tons in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20, 2021) compared to the previous year.
“This year's production is going to be better than last year and the output is expected to reach at least 200,000 to 230,000 tons from the last year’s 175,000 tons,” ILNA quoted Mohammad-Hassan Shams Fard as saying.
The official noted that despite the increase in production, the producers are facing some problems in exporting their products and receiving their payments.
“Sanctions have affected all of our activities, because we can hardly collect our export money; before the sanctions, Iranian traders used to have active bank accounts around the world, but this is no longer the case and this has led to problems for the exporters,” Shams Fard said.
According to the IDFEA head, China was the first destination for Iranian pistachios in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19), followed by Europe in second place and Arab countries in third place.
"Currently, some of our European trade partners are taking advantage of the U.S. sanctions; for example, when we export goods, they use the excuse of banking problems to delay our payment and say that there is no possibility of formal and legal exchanges. They know that if they do not pay, nothing special will happen and Iranian businessmen will not be able to do anything.”
About the latest situation of the global market for the mentioned product market, Shams Fard said: "Last year, each ton of pistachio was sold for $8,000 and now the prices have fallen to $6,500 because the United States has lowered the prices for its products."
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43 Passenger car manufacturing up 20% September 5, 2020
TEHRAN- Manufacturing of passenger cars in Iran has increased 20 percent during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21) compared to the same period of time in the past year, IRNA reported.
As reported, among the major Iranian carmakers, namely Iran Khodro Company (IKCO), SAIPA Group, and Pars Khodro, Iran Khodro accounted for the lion’s share of the production, while the company’s five-month output rose 39 percent year on year.
Three major carmakers manufactured 863,263 vehicles during the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19).
During the previous year, IKCO manufactured 393,812 vehicles, of which 35,953 were produced in the last month Esfand (February 20-March 19).
Production by SAIPA stood at 363,379, of which 23,696 vehicles were manufactured during the last month.
Pars Khodro manufactured 106,072 cars during the past year. Production in Esfand reached 9,300 vehicles.
Iran has been following a program for supporting domestic manufacturing of auto parts since due to the U.S. sanctions the country’s automakers have been facing some problems in supplying their needed parts and equipment.
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44 TEDPIX rises 5,847 points on Sunday September 6, 2020
TEHRAN- TEDPIX, the main index of the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE), which is Iran’s major stock exchange, climbed 5,847 points to 1.647 million on Sunday, IRNA reported.
As reported, 10.006 billion securities worth 115.938 trillion rials (about $2.76 billion) were traded at the TSE on Sunday.
The first market’s index rose 9,886 points while the second market’s index fell 10,865 points.
TEDPIX, which had dropped five percent to 1.631 million points at the end of the past Iranian week (ended on Friday), has come back to the growing trend in the current week, as it also gained 10,096 points on Saturday.
The index had also experienced a two-percent fall in the week ended on August 28, an 11.3-percent drop in the week ended on August 21, and a two-percent fall in the week ended on August 14.
It should be mentioned that the index had hit the record high of two million points on August 2, and while it had been experiencing an unprecedented trend of rising over the recent months, it witnessed several days of drop in the past month.
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