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.13301 Thursday JANUARY 10, 2019 Dey 20, 1397 Jumada Al Awwal 3, 1440 Can EU make decisions Adil Abdul-Mahdi Iranian weightlifter “Ganjur” to celebrate independently of U.S., calls Iran-Iraq Moradi nominated for centenary of children’s asks VP 2 ties friendly 2 lifter of the year 15 theater in Iran 16 Persian Gulf Star Refinery’s 3rd phase comes on stream See page 2 ECONOMY TEHRAN— The third As reported by ISNA, after the inaugural deskphase of Persian Gulf ceremony, a press conference was also held at First-class Star Refinery (PGSR), in south of Iran, the refinery complex during which the managing was put into operation on Wednesday, director of National Iranian Oil Refining and IRNA reported. Distribution Company (NIORDC) noted that Speaking in the inaugural ceremony, the average gasoline production in the country Mohammad-Ali Dadvar the managing stood at 67.28 million liters per day in the past director of the refinery, put the output of Iranian calendar year (March 2017 – March the 3rd phase at 12-15 million liters per day, 2018), and with phases two and three of PGSR idiots in saying that the total output will be stabled going operational the figure reached 87.95 mil- at 45 million liters per day within a week. lion liters per day in the current year. 4 Iran to downgrade security ties Washington with EU: diplomatic source POLITICS TEHRAN – Some six unnamed diplomat said Tehran is con- deskEuropean ambassadors sidering a downgrading of security ties and charges d’affaires in Tehran were dis- with the EU. “Soon due decisions will be missed in less than ten minutes after they made and they will cover vast areas,” the visited the Foreign Ministry to justify the source added. European Union’s reasons for sanctioning Anders Samuelsen, the Danish foreign an Iranian intelligence service and two minister, tweeted on Tuesday that the related people, an unnamed diplomatic European Union agreed to enact sanctions source told IRNA on Wednesday. against an Iranian Intelligence Service In retaliation for the sanctions, the over claims of assassination plot. 2 Turkey calls for joint control with Russia & Iran over U.S. troop pullout from Syria As the U.S. is experiencing “certain difficulties” Iran, with which we had arranged work with the withdrawal from Syria, it should be in the framework of the Astana process, coordinated with Iran and Russia to prevent “Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavu- “terrorists” from taking up the vacated space, soglu said Wednesday. the Turkish foreign minister said. Cavusoglu visited Moscow late in De- “The United States [has] been facing cember to discuss the situation in Syria. certain difficulties with the process of the On Wednesday, he mulled bilateral talks troops’ withdrawal from Syria. We want between Turkey and Iran, giving no time- khamenei.ir to coordinate this process with Russia and frame, however. 13 ARTICLE We extend ‘hand of friendship’ to Persian Gulf neighbors, Iran’s FM says REPORT Hanif Ghaffari In a speech to the Raisina Dialogue conference in on Dialogue Among Civilizations adopted unani- Many criteria were either found, or invented, Syed Zafar Mehdi Political analyst New Delhi on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Zarif mously by the UN General Assembly a few weeks to construct “the other side”, in other words, the Journalist reiterated that Iran extends “hand of friendship” after the September 11 tragedy in 2001, dialogue side to be excluded. Diversity—be it geographical, from New Delhi to its neighbors in the Persian Gulf region. is “founded on inclusion, and a collective desire to political, civilizational, cultural, religious, pat- Zarif also said, “We need a strong region rather learn, uncover and examine assumptions, unfold terns of military alliances and level of economic Macron’s economic than the dominance of strongmen in the region.” shared meaning and core values and integrate development—has been perceived as a threat Iran, India trade ties Following is the text of his speech: multiple perspectives.” and thus a justification for exclusion. suicide It is a great pleasure to participate in the 2019 Indeed, a genuine dialogue requires “equal Enemies—based on real or perceived differ- on strong footing Raisina Dialogue. Allow me to thank the peo- footing and mutual respect”, as well as “recog- ences—serve not only to justify exclusion but in he French president’s popular- ple and government of India and the Observer nition of diversified sources of knowledge” and fact as a convenient managerial tool. The need ran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif has ity is falling in polls conducted Research Foundation for their hospitality and wisdom. It should aim at achieving “mutual en- for an enemy as a managerial tool has been so displayed astute statesmanship while Tthroughout his country. According excellent arrangements and for providing this richment” and “identification and promotion of prevalent that at times enemies have been ac- Irepresenting his country in foreign to the latest polls in France, 75 percent opportunity to engage in a “Dialogue” on “A common ground … in order to address common tually forged. lands. Known for his sharp political acumen of French citizens are unsatisfied with World Reorder.” challenges”. Demonization requires and breeds igno- and tactful diplomacy, he knows how to the performance of Emmanuel Macron I think these two pivotal concepts—Dialogue In this vein, dialogue becomes a new global rance of “the Other”, and not only produc- bring friends closer and keep adversaries and his administration. and World Reorder—are very apt for our contem- paradigm as opposed to the prevailing paradigm es enemies, but creates a perpetual state of on their toes. “Three-quarters of French people are porary situation and deserve serious attention. of exclusion. For centuries—even millennia— confrontation. On his three-day visit to New Delhi, unhappy with the way President Emmanuel First, Dialogue. Dialogue by definition re- politicians defined relations within a zero-sum The realities of our globalized world have Zarif held wide-ranging deliberations with Macron and his government are running quires a readiness to listen and to re-examine paradigm: that there had to be winners and losers shattered the applicability of the zero-sum the top political leadership in India, at- the country, with a majority keen to see assumptions. As defined by the Global Agenda in every given situation. perspective. 13 tended the inaugural session of India-Iran more measures to boost household in- Business Forum and spoke at the annual comes, a poll showed on Thursda,” Reuters Raisina Dialogue organized by popular reported. think-tank Observer Research Founda- “A wave of “yellow vest” street protests Taliban call off talks with U.S. officials over ‘agenda disagreement’ tion (ORF). in the past two months have rocked Ma- INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — Much to the cha- U.S. officials reportedly due to involvement of a ban on movement of Taliban leaders, Reaffirming his country’s commitment cron’s presidency, forcing him into policy deskgrin of mandarins in Wash- of Afghan officials in the process. a Taliban leader was quoted saying by to expand ties with India, Zarif said the concessions including scrapping a planned ington, Taliban have called off ‘peace talks’ with “The U.S. officials insisted that the Reuters. two countries have had engagements with fuel tax rise to try and defuse anger over the U.S. officials in Qatar this week due to an Taliban should meet the Afghan author- The report, quoting Taliban sources, said each other for millennia, which includes a perceived squeeze on family budgets,” “agenda disagreement”. ities in Qatar and both sides were in dis- they had demanded U.S. authorities release trading with each other. He said Iran was it added. This month’s talks, the fourth in a series of agreement over declaring a ceasefire in 25,000 prisoners and they would free 3,000, one of India’s major suppliers of energy The increase of the poverty rate, and talks between the two sides in recent months, 2019,” a Taliban source was quoted as but that U.S. officials were not keen to discuss and urea fertilizers. rising unemployment in France have aimed was scheduled between Taliban leaders saying by Reuters. the exchange at this stage. While Iran has always relied on its been among the factors that led to these and U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to Earlier Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mu- “We would never announce any ceasefire domestic population to support its results. The fact is that Macron’s policies discuss the withdrawal of foreign forces and jahid said the two sides were still working on until and unless we achieve major gains on growth and development objectives, of economic reform in France led to the a possible ceasefire in 2019. the technical details and were not clear on the the ground. We have the feeling that Zalmay it is always keen to explore comple- “political and economic suicide” of this Taliban, which has vehemently rejected agenda for the talks. Khalilzad doesn’t have enough power to make mentarities with other countries, Zarif country. the offers of Afghan government to engage in This week’s talks involved U.S. with- important decisions,” a Taliban official is quoted said, in his keynote address at the In- These policies, which were supposed direct talks, canceled this week’s talks with drawal, prisoner exchange and the lifting as saying. 6 dia-Iran Business forum. to strengthen Macron’s position in Zarif also spoke about the challenges France, and subsequently within the posed by the outside world, reaffirming that EU borders, prepared the ground for Iran has always managed to survive and his removal from power.