WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13547 Saturday DECEMBER 7, 2019 Azar 16, 1398 Rabi’ Al thani 10, 1441 Judiciary chief Petrol plan would No limitations on Iran discover AFC visits UCF have fallen without Iran’s oil output Futsal Championship nuclear site 3 Leader’s support 3 acceptable 5 2020 fate 15 Iran to cooperate in renovating Syria’s water, wastewater networks TEHRAN – Iran and Syria signed a UNESCO Regional Centre on Urban Wa- E3 intends to hide memorandum of understanding (MOU) ter Management (RCUWM)’s governing on Thursday for cooperation in renovating board in Tehran. Syria’s water and wastewater networks, As reported, the MOU is going to de- IRNA reported. termine the framework of cooperation The MOU was signed by Iranian Ener- between the two countries in the field of gy Minister Reza Ardakanian and Syria’s water and wastewater and draws a roadmap ‘miserable incompetence’ Water Resources Minister Hussein Arnous for the presence of Iranian companies in on the sidelines of the 10th meeting of the Syria. See page 2 4 Remaining nuclear deal parties meet in Vienna TEHRAN — The remaining parties to ternal Action Service (EEAS). the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called This was the first meeting by represent- the JCPOA, met in Vienna on Friday to atives from Iran, UK, France, Germany, discuss issues surrounding the multi- Russia and China since July. lateral accord. The landmark agreement is on the verge The meeting was chaired by Iranian of collapse as the Trump administration Deputy Foreign Minister for Political withdrew the U.S. from the deal on May 8, Affairs Abbas Araqchi and Helga Schmid, 2018 and slapped the harshest sanctions secretary general of the European Ex- in history against Iran. Ayatollah Sistani says new PM must be chosen without foreign interference Iraq’s top Shia Muslim cleric said on ment and its members will be chosen Friday that a new prime minister must within the constitutional deadline” be chosen without foreign interference of 15 days since the resignation was after Adel Abdul Mahdi announced his formalized in parliament on Sunday, resignation a week ago. a representative of Sistani said in Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani urged his Friday sermon in the holy city political leaders to abandon partisan poli- of Kerbala. tics in choosing a new head of government “It must also take place without any and said he would have no involvement foreign interference,” he said. in efforts to replace Abdul Mahdi. Addressing worshipers during Friday File photo “We hope a new head of govern- prayers in the holy city of Karbala, 13 PERSPECTIVE Jordan seeks to restore diplomatic relations with Syria: minister ARTICLE Mostafa Mousavi Sabet Jordan plans to restore full diplomatic relations in order to enhance communication between in line with Jordan’s stance since the outbreak Quayyum Raja Head of the Tehran Times with neighboring Syria in a further sign of Arab the two countries. of the Syrian crisis in 2011 to keep the Jordanian East Asian analyst Art & Culture Desk states embracing President Bashar al-Assad after Commenting on a possible meeting with embassy in Damascus open.” a UAE diplomat praised him for “wise leader- President Assad, he stated that the matter is in Jordanian lawmakers first asked for the im- ship” this week. the hands of the Syrian side, and that the Jorda- provement of Jordan-Syria ties to the level before Artists’ tax Jordanian Minister of State and Agriculture nian delegates would like to sit for talks with the the start of the Syrian crisis last year, stressing that My observations Samir Habashneh said Thursday he will trav- 54-year-old Syrian leader, senior officials and the relations are beneficial to both nations, Ara- exemption a just el to Syria later this month as part of a nearly representatives of the Syrian people. bic-language Rai al-Youm newspaper reported and experience 30-strong delegation, Arabic- language Ammon Jordan’s official Petra news agency, citing last December. decision? news website reported. Foreign Ministry spokesman Sufian Qudah, Around the same time, Bahrain announced in Iran Former Prime Minister Taher al-Masri will reported earlier this year that the Amman gov- that work at the kingdom’s embassy “in the Syrian ultural and artistic activities are one he cost of an air ticket from Lahore to head the delegation to restore Amman-Damascus ernment had appointed a new chargé d’affaires Arab Republic is going on whilst the Embassy of the eight categories exempted from Mashad was around 38000 rupees bilateral relations to the level prior to the outbreak to its embassy in Damascus. of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Kingdom of paying basic tax under Iran’s tax law. in March 2019, but as soon as Imran C of foreign-sponsored Syrian conflict, it said. “It was decided to appoint a Jordanian diplomat Bahrain is carrying out its duties and flights T However, in the country’s budget bill Khan came into power in Pakistan, the Habashneh said Jordan and Syria actually at the rank of charge d’affaires in the Jordanian connecting the two countries are operational for the upcoming year, the government price of the same ticket jumped up to 70 have common areas of interest, stressing that embassy in Damascus,” the Jordanian official said. without interruption.” announced its plan to reduce the tax ex- 000. I did not want to pay so much money. the visit should have taken place much earlier He underlined that the “decision has been made (Source: Press TV) emption to 50 percent. So, I decided to go by road. Everyone who A number of cultural figures and artists heard of it, warned me that the journey criticized the plan and said that by the by road from Pakistan to Iran was very elimination of the tax exemption, artists Iraqi demonstrators condemn foreign intervention in the country dangerous. and others working in the cultural fields Iraqis on Friday announced their support for not drawn to violent acts, chaos and destruction.” tendered his resignation a week ago. They also scared me that the people on would be squeezed by the consequent peaceful protests for the second day in a row on “Conserving the peaceful nature of the pro- “We hope a new head of government and its Pakistan-Iran border were very aggressive higher living expenses more than ever. the streets and reiterated opposition to foreign tests and keeping them far from violence and members will be chosen within the constitutional and I may be looted. I relied on Allah Meanwhile, Minister of Culture and intervention. destruction is very important and everyone needs deadline” of 15 days since the resignation was and joined 3 strangers in a private car Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi On the second day in a row, demonstrators to unite in achieving such,” a representative of approved in parliament on Sunday, Ayatollah from Islamabad to Pakistani Balochistan. officially asked the government to con- in Baghdad declared their support for peaceful Ayatollah Sistani said as he delivered the top Sistani said. The strangers were Balochi who first kept tinue the tax exemption for cultural and protests and condemned any acts of sabotage cleric’s sermon. Abdul-Mahdi announced his resignation last chatting among themselves, but at one artistic activities. and violence during the protests. The top cleric added that the protesters week after the top cleric called for the country’s stage during the journey, they asked me Following the request, the admin- Meanwhile, Iraq’s top Shia cleric said Friday should not allow rioters to infiltrate the rallies lawmakers to “reconsider” their options amid to introduce myself. I told them I was a istration retracted its decision and he had no role in talks on a new premier for the and target “security forces and destroy public ongoing demonstrations and the government’s Kashmiri writer, but when they became Vice-President Mohammad-Baqer protest-hit country, where apprehensive pro- and private property” just as protecting the inability to address them effectively. friendlier, I told them I was also a political Nobakht, who is also the director of testers remained on the streets despite widening lives of protesters is the responsibility of the On Thursday, a mass rally was held in the coun- activist who served a long time in prison the Management and Planning Orga- intimidation campaigns. security forces. try’s capital city of Baghdad to show support for for the reunification of Kashmir. nization, said that the government is Addressing worshipers during Friday prayers During his statements, Ayatollah Sistani also the top cleric’s earlier calls for peaceful protests. The friendly Balochs became sympa- extending the tax exemption for artistic in the holy city of Karbala, Grand Ayatollah Ali said that a new prime minister must be chosen The protesters also chanted slogans and carried thetic. They entertained me during the and cultural activities. al-Sistani said protests are effective in hastening “without any foreign interference” and partisan placards decrying US, Israeli and Saudi meddling 14 hours long journey. I recalled Sardar The retraction of the decision was Muhammad Aslam Kashmiri who was a needed reforms on the condition that they “are politics after the incumbent Adel Abdul-Mahdi in the country. 13 also criticized by a number of people custom inspector in Quetta. He booked working in the artistic and cultural a hotel for me and paid all my bills. He activities. then made sure that my next journey from “Many people working in these fields are Quetta to Taftan was fully comfortable not artists or cultural figures at all,” actor and it was.