opportunities and facilities. opportunities transit their of use optimal making comes inthiswaybyplanningand in huge achieved have countries tion for new markets. So that many intensity ofcompeti the tions and rising Transit ofgoodsvia the coronavirus pandemic. by created restrictions the despite 20) Iranian calendar year (ended on March previous the in Iran through transited 7.532 million tons of commodities were of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), advantage of its strategic status in this due. tistics, it is obvious that Iran is taking the its strategicpositionintheregion. alternative tooilexport, whileimproving growth, and make transit revenue a suitable economic and earnings currency foreign efficient communication, Iran can achieve and reliable and network transportation use of them through the expansion of the many opportunities that making optimal to establish such relations through Iran. tive, so that many of these countries seek countries through Iran, is very cost-effec relations between East Asia and European Gulf, as well as the establishment of trade Central Asian countries with the Persian and trade in the region. The connection of as afactorinthedevelopmentoftransit and high income which can be effective (with eachotherandpartsoftheworld). can act as a bridge between these countries and waterborders, andatthesametimeit communicates with 15 countries through land to thewestandeast. Iraq, , Pakistan and Afghanistan in trade between these countries. and can play an important role , , Turkmenistan and Iran, between bridge best the is which as the energy bottleneck of the world. ducing countries. This region is considered which ishometotheworld’smajoroil-pro several importantinternationalcorridors. geography, as the country is the passage of special and location strategic its to due special status in trade and transit relations T File photo As reported by the Islamic Republic Islamic the by reported As Considering the country’s transit sta This status has provided the country with These countries have a large population The country, on the other hand, borders In the north of Iran is the , In the south of Iran is the Persian Gulf, Iran is one of the countries that has a In other words, it can be said that Iran Iran that said be can it words, other In Iran stepsup diplomacy amid oe motn de o the rela global trade expanded to due important more oday, transithasbecome BY MAHNAZ ABDI border tensions between victory against onanniv. of Iran congratulates Continued onpage4 , Azerbaijan WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM ------Javad added, congratulating Africa Day 2021. over domination, Iran stands by the continent, count on Tuesday. Inspired by Africa’s victory African friends,” Zarif wrote on his Twitter ac- continues to ravage the world. ‘vaccine apartheid’ in Africa as the coronavirus Javad Zarif has said the country will fight against – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad

IRNA/ Hasan Shirvani Page 3 “As COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, “Iran will always be a reliable partner to all long-standing correlation’ ‘Iranians, Armeniansenjoydeep, nian photographer Ebrahim Khadembayat UNESCO- designated] Bisotun.” [the on inscribed is Armenia of name the proud history of the people of this land, and Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran. which is dedicated to the UNESCO--registered opening ceremony of a virtual photo exhibit, Ayoubi as saying on Wednesday. is very extensive,” IRNA quoted Hojatollah Armenians with relations cultural our and other each with relationship deep and long and long-standingcorrelation. Armenia, saying the two nations enjoy a deep praised historical relations between Iran and nian National Commission for UNESCO has TEHRAN – The secretary-general of the Ira 8 Pages “As you know, Armenians are part of the He made the remarks on Tuesday at the “The people of Iran and Armenia have a A selection of 70 pictures captured by Ira Price50,000Rials Iran says against apartheid’ stands‘vaccine by Africa shine at Paralympics shine atParalympics Javanmardi readyto Para shooter 1.00EURO 4.00AED - - Imam, said on May 18. the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the BAREKAT), Mohammad Mokhber, the head of the Iranian-made coronavirus vaccine (COVIRAN imported andmass-vaccinationstarted. ready been local candidates, severalforeignvaccineshaveal- this time #VaccineApartheid.” we’re again joined in the fight against apartheid— Several countries have asked for purchasing While Iran continues efforts to mass-produce others fromacrosstheglobe. pilgrimage sites for Armenian-Iranians and important are and Iran northwest of lands in 2008. They are dotted in fresh and green Heritage World UNESCO the on inscribed tic Ensembles of Iran, which were collectively churches that constitute the Armenian Monas el ofDzordzorarethreephotogenicancient Muslim. Byzantine, Orthodox, Assyrian, Persian, and culture blended with other regional cultures: decorative scenes associated with Armenian and architectural of panorama vast a to ny testimo bear they but some to structures modest seem may churches earliest Iran’s to organizers. has been put on show for the event, according 43rdyear St. Thaddeus, St. Stepanos, and the Chap Experts believe that to the untrained eye, No.13953 Page 3

Thursday Continued onpage6

MAY 27,2021 Turkey rises 53% between Iran, Quarterly trade - - - being administrated to 20,000 people. third phase of the human trial in early May by vaccine made by Iranian researchers, started the the domestic needs are met, Mokhber stated. on purchasing vaccines, but we will export once countries in the region are now seeking to negotiate See page3 See At least two European countries and three and countries European two least At COVIRAN BAREKAT, the first coronavirus Domestic vaccines

Khordad6,1400 election Syrians voteinpresidential h cptl Dmsu, peiu rebel previous a Damascus, capital, the were rejected. requests for candidacy, but their applications submittedhad aspirants presidential other the NationalDemocraticFront. Forty-eight fairs; and Mahmoud Ahmad Marei, head of Abdullah,former stateministerofparliamentaryaf- Salloum Abdullah candidates: percent ofthevote. country. In 2014, Bashar Assad won nearly 89 sands ofpeopleandforcedmillionstoleavethe ago, a conflict that has killed hundreds of thou since thebeginningofSyria’s crisisadecade president. that issettodeterminewhothenext to thepollscastballotsinanelection Votersof Syriaareheading inliberatedparts gallery until June 8. war. the martyred, injured or taken captive during during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. highlight Iranian women’s self-sacrifices Iranian Academy of Arts on Monday to attheLorzadehopened Gallery of the TEHRAN – An exhibition of sculptures Sculpture exhibit observes Iranian sacrifices inwar Wednesday’s presidentialvoteisthesecond Assad casted his ballot in Douma nearDouma in ballot his casted Assad Assad is running against two opposition The exhibition will be running at the About 17,000 Iranian women were I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y women’s self-

of Action (JCPOA). known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan officially deal, nuclear 2015 a revive to the Vienna nuclear talks that are aimed of round fifth the started and ago days Abbas Araghchi arrived in Vienna a few talks in the Austrian capital on Tuesday. Tehran and world powers resumed nuclear said important issues remain resolved as the Iranian negotiating team in Vienna has TEHRAN – A senior Iranian diplomat leading of the population of university students in Development Plan (2015-2021). than the goal set by the Sixth Five-Year National population, which is about 0.14 percent higher stitute 1.64 percent of the country’s student TEHRAN – Currently, foreign nationals con- mentioned twomonths,in theaccording and steel products to foreign destinations ironandsteelingots methanol, ethylene, oil commodities including gasoline, poly toms Administration (IRICA). head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Cus- IRIB reported on Wednesday quoting the period,year’ssame last the to compared year (March 21-May 21), up 48 percent months of the current Iranian calendar exports reached $6.3 billion in the first two non-oil Iran’s of value The – TEHRAN Non-oil exports hit $6.3bin2months, Attracting foreignstudents morethan “Today, the fifth round of our negoti Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed According to the plan, some 1.5 percent Iran exported 16.9 million tons of non-

Shawwal Key issues remainunresolved,top Page 4 Continued onpage7 15, 1442 nuclear negotiator says projected: official up 48%yr/yr - in recentyears. right-wing American the of embrace tanyahu’s States and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ne power of racial justice movements in the United a fargreaterciviliandeathtollinrecent days. speak up forcefully in support of Palestinians, who saw than the past, with progressives pressuring Biden to foreign policy. The criticism from the left was louder ican political debate over Israel and its position in U.S. prayers. targeted Israeli security forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and and Jerusalem in homes their from Palestinians of eviction the to response in Israel at rockets of recent escalation in Gaza as Hamas fired hundreds regime hasarighttodefenditself. the have stood by Israel, almost unconditionally, claiming 50 years or so.” harm toU.S. intereststhananyoneelseinthelast more did who advisers hawkish by served badly was He Asia. and Asia) (West East Middle the in the Tehran Times. sympathy in the Muslim world,” Bilveer Singh tells East (West Asia) and will not win much support and the Americans will always be losers in the Middle West Asia until it supports Israel. saysthattheU.S. willbethebigloserin of politicalsciencefromtheNationalUniversity of TEHRAN - An associate professor in the department West Asia:academic U.S. failedbadlyin This shift is tied to two main factors: the growing But this latest violence marked a shift in the Amer President Biden followed the same policy in the According to Bilveer, Trump’s U.S. “failed badly “Until the U.S. does not decouple itself from Israel, For decades, Democrats and Republicans alike is zero,” he said. in large numbers. “The value of your opinions out coming by clear feelings their made had Syrian election. statement inwhichtheycriticizedthe , and issued a joint of theUnitedStates, UnitedKingdom, tomonitortheelection. delegations despite 10 years of war. term seven-year another secure to hopeful is al campaign heavily focused on creating jobs, to castballots. morningand thatmanyvoterswerewaiting all voters with packed were stations polling stronghold in 2018. - - to revolutionary change fromreprobate Play depicts Zargham’s Assad, whose “Hope Through Work” elector Damascus-based correspondents reported Addressing his critics, Assad said Syrians said Assad critics, his Addressing Meanwhile, theforeignministers sent , as well as Russia, and Iran BY MOHAMMAD MAZHARI BY MOHAMMAD round of the nuclear talks. which marked the beginning of the fifth meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission, Araghchi told state media Tuesday after a ment the agreements will also continue,” a third working group on how to imple and lifting, sanctions and area nuclear will continue by working groups in both meeting of the Joint Commission. Work P4+1 countries, began, and we had the first the and Iran of consists which JCPOA, ations with the Joint Commission of the Affairs, said, IRNA reported on Wednesday. an official at the Organization of Student 2020-March 2021), Afshin Akhoundzadeh, (March year calendar Iranian past the ever, the figure stood at 1.64 percent in the country should be non-Iranian, how- respectively, Mir-Ashrafi said. 38 percent in terms of weight and value, period under review, up 6.6 percent and $12.8 billion with its trade partners in the worth goods such of tons million 22.2 to thelastyear’s sametwomonths. to register a 26.5-percent rise compared ported into the country in the said period goods valued at $6.5 billion were also im to Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi. In total, the Islamic Republic traded Meanwhile, some 5.3 million tons of Continued onpage5 Continued onpage4 Continued onpage3 Continued onpage7 Page 8 - - - - - I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MAY 27, 2021 POLITICS ELECTION WIRE 7 candidates in 7 days CANDIDATE PROFILE Qalibaf reelected parliament Kadkhodaei predicts speaker

POLITICAL TEHRAN – One year after the current par- deskliament started its work, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was reelected as parliament speaker on Tuesday. high voter turnout Qalibaf won 230 votes for the post. His rival, Fereydoun Ab- basi, only garnered 18 votes. POLITICAL TEHRAN — The He said the council carries out its re- submitted all the documents required by Abbasi, a nuclear physicist, deskspokesman for Iran’s sponsibilities based on the Constitution, as the panel. is the head of the parliament’s Constitutional Council has dismissed the the fundamental law of the country, and is Kadkhodaei said the hopefuls who had Energy Committee. notion that the disqualification of several duty-bound to do the vetting process. “If a failed to secure the council’s approval could Qalibaf had also won 230 high-profile figures by the vetting body in person is vetted and not approved, we are not not object to the decision under law. Only votes in the 290-seat parlia- the run-up to the June 18 presidential elec- to blame. We have to act on the basis of law.” the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has the ment which was held last year tion could affect voter turnout, claiming that Earlier in the day, the Constitutional power under the Constitution to intervene on May 29. opinion polls conducted by state bodies show Council — which supervises elections and and alter the decision, he said, adding that Last year, Amir Hossein Qa- that low participation in elections often has vets candidates — released a final list of seven until then in the process this year, the council zizadeh Hashemi and Ali Nikzad social and economic roots. hopefuls it found qualified to join the presi- had not been informed of any such move on were also elected as the first In an interview with Press TV on Tuesday, dential race slotted for June 18. A number of the part of Ayatollah Khamenei. and second deputy speakers re- Abbasali Kadkhodaei said, “When it comes prominent figures — including Vice President Earlier, Kadkhodaei responded to crit- spectively. However, this year to verification and vetting, the impact of Es’haq Jahangiri and former Parliament icism of the council’s decision to bar the Qazizadeh Hashemi did not seek the Constitutional Council’s votes on the Speaker Ali Larijani — were barred from reformist camp’s senior figures from running the post of vice speaker because people’s participation is very little.” contesting the presidential election. in the election next month, saying the body he has been confirmed by the That, he said, is what opinion polls Over 590 individuals had put their names bases its decisions on election law, and not Guardian Council to contest conducted by state institutions show. “It’s down to vie for the presidency in the key on political affiliations. the June presidential elections. usually most likely about economic issues, vote, but the council only examined the He assured that the council had meticu- In the Tuesday voting, Nikzad, who represents in the and maybe some political and social issues.” qualifications of the 40 hopefuls who had lously examined the qualifications. parliament, was elected as first deputy speaker by winning 206 votes and Abdolreza Mesri, who represents , won 205. In Ahmadinejad’s second administration Nikzad and Mesri served as ministers. Nikzad was the minister of housing and President advises candidates to follow health protocols transport and Mesri the minister of labor and social welfare. POLITICAL TEHRAN — Speaking at the meeting of National to the elections and it can ensure the health of the people on the day deskHeadquarters for Coronavirus Control (NHCC), of the elections. President Hassan Rouhani advised the presidential candidates to Insisting on using past experiences, the president said, “Using Iran: Israel must be held follow health protocols announced by the NHCC during the campaigns. past experiences in the field of training for accurate and complete “Protecting the lives and votes of the people in the elections is implementation of health instructions by making special training accountable for heinous the most important duty of the government as the executor of the programs and broadcasting them through various media outlets, the crimes against Palestinians elections, and our performance must be such that the people feel exact implementation of the protocols by the people and candidates confident about their health and the protection of their votes,” he noted. during the campaign days and election day should be ensured.” POLITICAL TEHRAN – Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s UN Stating that the government will do its utmost to protect the The presidential elections will be held on June 18.The election deskAmbassador, says Israeli officials must face justice lives and votes of the people, Rouhani said that it is very important headquarters had previously announced that they will increase the for committing “heinous” crimes against the Palestinian people in to monitor the strict implementation of the health protocols related number of ballot boxes to prevent congestion and long lines. flagrant violation of international law. On Tuesday, the Iranian diplomat told the United Nations Security Council session on “protection of civilians in armed conflict” that Guardian Council deputy head clarifies on confusions over qualifications Israeli officials had recently demolished 847 Palestinian-owned POLITICAL TEHRAN— Siamak but among other things, it may have led to there are other conditions. The one who is structures, including homes, sanitation assets, and 156 buildings deskRahpeyk, deputy head a disqualification,” he noted. not qualified has not met other criteria,” donated as humanitarian aid, and displaced at least 996 Palestinians of the Guardian Council, spoke to state TV There are reports that Ali Larijani was Rahpeyk stated. in the occupied West Bank.. on Tuesday night, responding to rumors of disqualified because his daughter is stud- Judiciary Chief Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, He also stated that Palestinians are being forcibly evicted from disorders in assessing the qualifications of ying in Ohio. a cleric presidential candidate endorsed by their homes and territories on a large scale, with an estimated 90,000 presidential candidates. The Guardian Council official stated that the Guardian Council, said on Tuesday that Palestinians facing eviction in occupied East Jerusalem. “The council has examined records of 40 discussion of management and indicators, he had made some calls to make the “election He cited the recent Israeli military assault on the besieged Gaza people, out of 592 registrants,” Rahpeyk said. such as several years of service in national scene more competitive.” Strip, claiming that in addition to killing hundreds of people, includ- Rahpeyk added that there is no time left managerial positions, is part of the quali- The presidential elections will be held ing 66 children and 39 women, Israeli forces destroyed 30 health for presidential hopefuls to protest, and the fication requirements. on June 18. facilities, nearly 50 schools and educational centers, half of the water list released on Tuesday is final. “Two people may be in the same posi- Election hype has begun as candidates network, 33 media offices, and damaged 43 mosques during the “Just because a first-degree relative tion; one may be qualified and the other may officially started campaigning on Tuesday, 12-day brutal and all-out aggression. resides in another country does not nec- be disqualified. They may have achieved after the names of competent hopefuls were “The worst part is that when Palestinians protested such illegal essarily preclude assessing qualification, conditions for successful management, but announced. forced evictions, including in Sheikh Jarrah [neighborhood], where they have lived for generations, and complained about attacks on Muslim worshipers in al-Aqsa Mosque [compound] during the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli security and military forces committed Qazizadeh Hashemi elaborates on his foreign policy agenda the most brutal crimes against Palestinians,” Takht-Ravanchi stated. POLITICAL TEHRAN — Speaking to the Fars News Agency, The fifth round of nuclear talks for possible revival the 2015 nuclear “Such crimes, which materially violate fundamental norms and deskAmir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi, a presiden- deal were resumed on Tuesday. Iranian chief nuclear negotiator principles of international law, imply international responsibility tial candidate and sitting MP has said that if he wins the June 18 Abbas Araghchi has said all sides are showing strong will to restore for the Israeli regime, whose officials must therefore be brought to presidential elections his administration will continue the Vienna the deal. However, he said though many issues have been settled justice for committing such heinous crimes,” Takht-Ravanchi said. negotiations better than the current administration. still some key issue remain unresolved. The Israeli bombardment of the densely populated coastal enclave Qazizadeh Hashemi emphasized his program in foreign policy The presidential candidate continued by saying that it must be killed at least 253 Palestinians, including 66 children. Israel’s bom- areas, saying, “Dialogue with the world is necessary, we have talked clear that diplomacy is a kind of give and take. bardment also wreaked havoc on the already impoverished territory. to the world all these years, but how and with whom to talk is very “We must be clear about what we give and what we receive in The Gaza Strip experienced a ceasefire in the early hours of May important.” return.” 21 after brokered an agreement between Israel and Palestinian He added that what is important is the result of relations with other Calling the Americans “shrewd,” he said their shrewdness requires resistance factions to end the 11-day conflict. countries, noting people should taste the sweetness of the result of the Islamic Republic to seal a strong treaty in terms of international law. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian the negotiations because they ask what has been added to their table. “We intend to move this forward powerfully,” he noted. Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, more than 90,000 Speaking about his plan for the Vienna negotiations, the presi- Stressing that his administration feels the urgency to lift sanctions, people in Gaza have been displaced as a result of Israeli bombardment. dential aspirant said that his administration will “definitely conclude he said, “When we fight trafficking, the black market will disappear.” Takht-Ravanchi then criticized the UN Security Council for fail- the Vienna talks better than the current government.” The presidential elections will be held on June 18. The candidates ing to carry out its Charter-based mandate and even issued a mild “I am against writing and reading articles in the talks,” he added. have started campaigning since Tuesday. press statement calling for an end to Israel’s aggression against civilians in Gaza. The Iranian UN ambassador also slammed the U.S. for its Zakani forms campaign office “shameful” protection of the Israeli regime, emphasizing that the POLITICAL TEHRAN — Ruhol- Alireza Zakani. spokesperson. Security Council’s May 22 statement, which came after the Israeli desklah Motefaker Azad In a statement issued on Wednes- Informing the people on his Twitter government and Palestinian resistance groups agreed to a ceasefire, has been appointed as the campaign day, Zakani also has named Malek account, he used #RevolutionaryYouth- was ineffective. manager of presidential candidate Shariati Niasar as his campaign Government and #1980s_campaign.

Candidates’ views on foreign policy

Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi Saeed Jalili Mohsen Rezaei Mohsen Mehr Alizadeh Alireza Zakani Abdolnasser Hemmati Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi

He has reiterated the stance He believes in negotiation Rezaei’s plan is more He has made no comments Zakani is a serious critic He defends interaction In an interview with the by the Islamic Republic with all countries, yet he focused on economic on foreign policy issues. of the JCPOA deal. He with neighbors and the Fars News Agency, Ghazi system, stating that the U.S. believes that Iran must development, thus his has opposed the JCPOA West. Hemmati traveled Zadeh Hashemi said has to lift all sanctions, and have the upper hand in priority is to build strong several times. On the to Baghdad to help release that he will continue the after extensive verification the negotiations. Serving economic relations with ongoing nuclear talks in Iran’s assets frozen in Iraq negotiations in a better Iran will return to its as Iran’s chief nuclear neighbors. On the issue of Vienna to possibly revive due to U.S. sanctions. He way than the current JCPOA obligations. He negotiator when he was the JCPOA, Rezaei seems the deal, Zakani says the is also trying to unfreeze administration. He says calls the JCPOA a “blank secretary of the Supreme skeptical, believing the U.S should return to the Iranian assets in South that he opposes “essay- cheque” that should National Security Council Biden administration will deal, compensate Iran for Korea. The CBI has a writing” in negotiations. have been cashed by the during Ahmadinejad’s not rejoin the deal without leaving the JCPOA, lift representative in the Qazizadeh Hashemi government. He believes administration, he is forcing new terms and banking and oil sanctions JCPOA negotiations. believes that since that Iran should interact familiar with negotiation conditions on Iran. He and that Iran must be able When Hemmati took Americans are shrewd, “we with all countries. He says techniques. thinks that banking and to easily receive its oil over as the CBI governor have to sign a strong deal his foreign policy will be He basically agrees with financial sanctions should money. Zakani believes he tried his best through with a strong legal basis.” in accordance with the the nuclear negotiations in be lifted in the first month. that the Islamic Republic negotiations to help He says, “The demands Leader’s remarks, and that principle, but has opinions His controversial remarks should boost its domestic release frozen Iranian must be clear about what Iran’s national pride and different from those in the got the Foreign Ministry to capacities and invest funds in Western banks. we are giving and what we dignity should be respected. current administration issue a statement saying more on defense industry. On the ongoing Vienna are taking.” He believes He says that Iran needs over various paragraphs that Rezaei’s words were talks, Hemmati has that it is necessary to make to increase relations with of the JCPOA, believing not Iran’s official position. expressed hope that dialogue with the world, yet other countries to improve Iran has given many sanctions on SWIFT, it is important with whom the economic situation. concessions to the United the CBI, and transfer of Iran is trying to converse. “Neighbors first” is his States. money overseas would slogan. soon be lifted. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MAY 27, 2021 IRAN IN FOCUS 3 Iran steps up diplomacy amid border SPORTS Para shooter Javanmardi tensions between Armenia, Azerbaijan ready to shine at Paralympics SPORTSTEHRAN – Iran’s Para shooter Sareh deskJavanmardi says that she is ready to shine POLITICAL TEHRAN – The spiral create “new geopolitical realities” amid global at the 2020 Paralympic Games, despite the competition’s deskescalation of tensions be- silence towards Baku. postponement. tween two of Iran’s neighbors in the South “Undoubtedly, this encroachment on Ar- Javanmardi won two gold medals at the 2016 Rio in Caucasus region has taken the top Iran dip- menia’s territorial integrity is a direct conse- the 10 m air pistol SH1 and Mixed 50 m pistol SH1. She lomat to the region amid a decisive round of quence of the war unleashed on September 27 had already won a bronze medal at the 2012 London in nuclear talks between Iran and world powers last year by Azerbaijan against the people of the 10 m air pistol and now is looking forward for another in the Austrian capital of Vienna. Artsakh, their right to self-determination and accolade in Tokyo. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Ja- life, as well as the inadequate international She says the Games’ postponement can be an oppor- vad Zarif began a regional tour of the South and regional response to Azerbaijan’s actions tunity or a threat. Caucasus that included visits to Azerbaijan towards endangering regional peace. Encour- “I really don’t know the postponement of the Games and Armenia. The visits began amid reports of aged by the sense of impunity, Azerbaijan is a threat or an opportunity but I have to say training border tensions between two rivals grappling is trying to create new geopolitical realities during the lockdown was very difficult,” Javanmardi said with the consequences of a deadly 44-day war which do not proceed from the interests of in an interview with Tehran Times. “I hope the Olympic that resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large countries concerned in regional stability. and Paralympic Games will be held. We have had difficult swathes of Armenian-controlled territories In these conditions, the dialogue with our situation during the past year due to coronavirus condition.” in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. regional partners is more than important,” “The Iranian Para shooters are ready for the Paralympics In mid-May, Armenia accused Azerbai- Aivazian pointed out. since we’ve trained very well despite COVID-19 restric- jan of advancing into its southern territory. In response, Zarif called the Caucasus a tions. However, our shooters still face difficulties for lack Armenian Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pa- “vital region” that protection of its security of equipment due o the sanctions,” she added. shinyan has said Azerbaijan’s armed forces is a national security issue for Iran. “We participated in a tournament in the UAE and I crossed the state border of the Republic of Expressing concerns over the recent Khatibzadeh also said that Iran was “closely of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Armenia personally think it was a good preparatory competition Armenia and advanced as far as 3.5 kilometers tensions, Zarif said Iran made efforts over and sensitively following the developments” must be maintained,” Zolnouri said. ahead of Paralympic Games. in Syunik province. the past months to peacefully settle disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan. During his visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia, “I promise we will participate in the Tokyo with all our “This is unacceptable to the Armenian between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He called Underlining Iran’s readiness to facilitate Zarif raised the issue of borders. In Baku, the might,” Javanmardi concluded. side, because it represents an encroachment on both sides to exercise restraint, respect the settlement of the dispute, Khatibzadeh top Iranian diplomat discussed with Azeri Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be held from Aug. on the sovereign territory of the Republic each other’s borders, and resolve disagree- said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran underlines President Ilham Aliyev issues such as border 24 to Sept. 5. of Armenia. It still remains to be seen why the necessity of maintaining stability and calm tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan ments through dialogue. such an action was possible, but it should be in the region, and calls on both sides to show and communication corridors. Zarif also underlined the need to respect noted that this is an act of subversive infiltra- restraint, avoid fueling the disagreements, “Now you can play a historic role in bring- international borders and protect the ter- Haddadi almost misses FIBA tion. It should also be stated that our armed and respect the two countries’ borders.” ing peace to the region,” Zarif told Aliyev, ritorial integrity of countries as well as the forces responded early this morning with Earlier, a senior Iranian lawmaker warned according to a statement issued by the Azer- need to refrain from changing borders as a Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers appropriate tactical maneuvers and other against change in Iran-Armenia borders. The baijani presidency. red line outlined by Iran. necessary measures,” Pashinyan said in a lawmaker, Mojtaba Zolnouri, who serves as In Yerevan, Zarif received the Armenian The Iranian foreign minister also met with SPORTSTEHRAN – Iran center Hamed Haddadi meeting with Armenian military officials. the head of the Iranian Parliament’s Nation- account of border tensions. Acting Minister Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “Our deskwill most likely be absent in the FIBA Asia Azerbaijan rejected the Armenian account al Security and Foreign Policy Committee, of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ara Aivazian good-neighborly relations with Iran are of Cup 2021 Qualifiers due to knee injury. of the tensions, saying it deployed troops to said Tehran has made it clear that it will not thanked Zarif for paying a visit to Armenia strategic importance. The common border Iran aim to top Group E and claim direct qualification areas bordering Armenia but this deployment accept any change in international borders during “disturbing days” in the region. with Iran has ensured the security of our to Asia Cup 2021 in June. occurred inside Azerbaijan’s territories. in the region. Aivazian noted, “It has been two weeks country in a number of ways ever since the “I have a severe knee cartilage injury and need the rest. The episode required a position by Iran. “If part of the territory of Armenia is to since the Azerbaijani armed forces invaded first years of Armenia’s independence. It is I think I will be back after six weeks,” Haddadi said. So, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s be taken and our border conditions change, the border areas of the Republic of Armenia, my pleasure to note that there is a similar “I want to be ready for the Olympics and I will most Foreign Ministry, called on the two South that is, to have a new neighbor, it is not ac- trying to provoke a new escalation, which is perception in Iran about our relationship,” likely miss FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers. Caucasus rivals to settle their border disputes ceptable for us. The existing borders must be fraught with new regional threats.” Pashinyan told Zarif, according to a statement Iran have been drawn with the U.S. and France in in peaceful ways and through dialogue. completely protected and the shared border He also said that Azerbaijan strives to issued by the Armenian acting prime minister. Group A of the Olympic Games. Haddadi says to play with the world’s strong teams is an opportunity for Iran’s . “We’ve been drawn in a tough group but I think it’s Key issues remain unresolved, top nuclear negotiator says a good chance for us to play the strong teams. The U.S. failed to shine in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup carefully and calmly and with wisdom; we will not rush for 1 “All parties are still serious” and will be highly motivated when participate in the no reason, nor will we allow [the negotiations] to become He added, “All parties are still serious and have taken Games,” he stated. these talks seriously, many delegations are hoping that long and draining. We hope that results can be achieved in this round can be the last round of talks and we will reach this round. But we are not bound to do so in this round, but a conclusion. You can have such hope, but you have to be we are bound to have our interests fully met.” Iran team receive vaccines a little bit cautious. The issues that remain to be finalized “We will not sacrifice accuracy for speed” and decided are still important issues, although their Responding to a question about whether in his opinion ahead of World Cup qualifiers number has decreased and we have made great strides this round can be the final round of negotiations and an in writing the text in previous periods. We can move agreement can be reached, Araghchi stated, “I have said SPORTSTEHRAN – Iranian national football team forward further, but the few issues that remain are still this many times. As a diplomat, I am always hopeful and deskplayers along with coaching staff received key issues that need to be decided.” it is our duty to move forward with hope, but not with the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday. The top nuclear negotiator pointed out, “One should optimism. As long as the negotiations need to take, they The team have started the training in Tehran for the still speak cautiously about whether this round can be will take. We will not sacrifice accuracy for speed, we 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. the last round or not. We hope to be able to do this as will not sacrifice benefits for speed. We will not rush Iran will depart for on May 31. The ‘Persian soon as possible, but we are looking for an agreement unnecessarily, and at the same time we will not prolong Leopards’ will meet on June 3 and play Bah- that meets our definite demands and positions that the negotiations without reason and logic. For us, time rain four days later. have been repeatedly mentioned before. We have been “One should still speak is not the criterion, for us, securing the interests of the Dragan Skocic’s team are scheduled to face Cambodia seriously involved in these talks, and the experts with country is the criterion, and until these interests are se- and Iraq on June 11 and 15, respectively in Group C. me will participate in the working groups, and we will cautiously about whether cured, the negotiations will continue.” Iran are third with six points in their group of five, but take the discussions seriously, and we hope to be able this round can be the last Araghchi echoed the same assessment in an interview have a game in hand over their opponents. to make faster progress than in the past.” with Press TV. He told the English-language broadcaster Iraq are top on 11 points, with Bahrain second on nine As regards the remaining issues and how long the nego- round or not,” says Iran’s that he still cannot ascertain that a conclusion was possibly after five matches. tiations will take, he said, “No date can be set. I cannot even senior nuclear negotiator within reach despite progress made on some key differences say for sure that this will be the last round. The remaining Abbas Araghchi. over reviving the landmark deal. issues, in our view, must be resolved in a way that satisfies “In the last round, we were able to make some meaningful Iran suffer two defeats at FIBA us. This may be in two or three days or more, we do not we hope that, by the grace of God, we will be able to meet the progress in our negotiations but still there are some key 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Day 1 sacrifice our desires and positions for time. It is important demands and what are the definite positions of the system issues to be resolved,” Araghchi said. that what serves Iran’s national interests must be carefully and have been expressed by the Leader on several occasions, “I cannot say that we are able to conclude our job in SPORTSTEHRAN – Iran lost their first two considered and met in the negotiations and in the texts and then we will report to Tehran.” this round of negotiations but this is possible; it depends deskmatches against and on that are written. Of course, we do not intend to waste time Araghchi continued, “I need to reiterate that any decision on how much we are able to make progress on key issues Day 1 of the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament and we will not allow others to waste time. If we can move will ultimately be made in Tehran. Our task as functionaries and how much the other parties are prepared to make on Wednesday. things forward faster, we will move forward faster, but we of the establishment is to move the issues forward in the their own difficult decisions,” the Iranian deputy foreign Iran began the campaign with a 22-4 loss against Japan will not allow haste to move forward quickly, reduce our first line of the negotiations and then report the outcome. minister underlined. “I am not confident that it would and suffered a narrow 22-21 defeat against Thailand. demands and impede our interest from being secured. We Decisions in Tehran are made by the relevant authorities be possible to conclude the negotiations but there is a Iran will have to play powerhouses and Aus- will carry out the negotiations carefully and tactfully, and and we are also told how to behave. We will move forward possibility.” tralia on Friday. The team have a difficult task ahead since the top two teams in each pool will advance to the knock-out rounds on the final day. Iran congratulates Lebanon on anniv. of victory against Israel A total of 20 teams are vying for just three spots in the POLITICAL TEHRAN – Iranian “In line with the will of the Lebanese Lebanon’s wise leaders will lead the country competition. deskPresident Hassan Rou- nation, army and resistance for maintaining to development, progress and stability. The 3x3 basketball will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo. hani and Foreign Minister Mohammad unity and defending their country’s lands, Nasrallah delivered a speech Tuesday Javad Zarif have sent congratulatory mes- the Islamic Republic of Iran will be alongside on the anniversary of the Resistance and sages to Lebanese leaders congratulating the Lebanese government and nation like Liberation Day in which he congratulated the 2021 VNL a chance for them on the anniversary of the victory before. I wish Your Excellency health and Palestinian resistance for its great victory. Iranian youngsters against Israel. success and the noble people of Lebanon “We are now celebrating two great vic- Rouhani sent a message to the president prosperity and felicity,” Rouhani continued. tories, the 25th of May 2000 in Lebanon SPORTSTEHRAN – Iran national volleyball team of Lebanon to congratulate the Lebanese Zarif also congratulated Lebanese of- and the 21st of May 2021 in Gaza,” Sayyed deskwill begin the 2021 Volleyball Nations government and nation on the anniversa- ficials on the anniversary of the victory Nasrallah initiated, saluting the bravery league (VNL) on Friday against Japan. The competition ry of the victorious and glorious festival against Israel. Iran’s foreign minister, in of the Palestinian resistance in the latest is a great chance for newly-appointed coach Vladimir Al- of resistance and freedom that led to the separate messages, congratulated Sayyid battle, according to the Lebanese Al-Ma- violations that the occupation practiced ekno to field the young players. liberation of the country’s southern parts Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of nar website. in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and A total of 32 of the world’s top national teams have from the Zionist regime’s aggressor forc- the Lebanese resistance movement Hez- “The liberation that the Lebanese people the cause of this battle was the arrogance joined the VNL 2021 bubble in Rimini, Italy to showcase es, according to the website of the Iranian bollah, and Zeina Akar, the acting foreign attained in 2000 was dedicated to Pales- and stupidity of the enemy as well as its electrifying volleyball action for millions of fans worldwide. presidency. minister of Lebanon, on the Eid of resistance tine because it is where our goal lies, and miscalculations and underestimation of Alekno has already said the campaign is an opportunity “I would like to offer my sincerest and freedom and the anniversary of the this victory shifted the strategic path of the the resistance,” Nasrallah said, adding that for him to field the young players. congratulations to Your Excellency and victorious liberation of Southern Lebanon Palestinian cause and the conflict with the “despite all that is taking place in Palestine, “We have a chance to field our young players in the VNL. the noble people of Lebanon on the an- from the Israeli occupation forces through enemy,” he noted. some Arab countries are still normalizing The competition can prepare us for the Olympics. Several niversary of the victorious and glorious the bravery and devotion of resistance fight- As he remembered the martyrs who fell and working on improving the Israeli en- players have a bright future in Iran volleyball. Javad Karimi festival of resistance and freedom that led ers, according to a statement issued by the on this path and reminded of the great role tity’s image.” and Amirhossein Esfandiar must change their mentality to the liberation of the country’s southern Iranian foreign ministry. that Hajj Qassem Soleimani played in sup- He noted that “the Israelis assumed that if they want to be successful. Saber Kazemi and Bardia parts from the Zionist regime’s aggressor Zarif said rapport and strategic unity porting the resistance, Sayyed Nasrallah the Judaization procedures in Al-Quds will Saadat will have a bright future,” Alekno said in a press forces with the self-sacrifice of the people among the Lebanese people, government praised the “historic stance” of the Pales- only be faced with statements and denuncia- conference last week. of Lebanon,” Rouhani told his Lebanese and army hold the key to victory against tinian resistance in standing up against tions. They didn’t expect that the resistance The 16-team tournament begins with a round-robin counterpart Michel Aoun. Israel. violations in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbor- will take this historic decision.” phase where each side will play 15 games. Rouhani added, “The nature of the Zi- In the messages, the top Iranian diplomat hood, assuring that “the displacement tak- “Gaza surprised the friend and enemy The third edition of the competition will be held from onist regime that stems from its aggressive wished dignity and honor for the Lebanese ing place in Sheikh Jarrah is not a normal with its threat in defense of Al-Quds… This May 28 to June 27 in Rimini, Italy. temperament showed that the only way to government and nation as well as families development considering the symbolism historic development in “Al-Quds Sword” The 2021 VNL will be really a good tournament for the confront the aggressors is people’s resistance of resistance fighters martyred or disabled of this neighborhood. It is a step forward must be highly appreciated as Gaza has teams to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games. and steadfastness. I hope that this path during their struggles. in Judaizing Al-Quds.” engaged in this battle not to protect itself This Games’ edition will be special for Iran since the continues under your leadership until the Zarif added he is confident that the path “The Palestinian resistance took a firm or its own people but to protect Al-Quds,” country’s golden generation will likely represent the Asian entire Lebanese land is liberated.” which has started with the prudence of and historic decision after witnessing the he added, according to Al-Manar. powerhouses in the event for the last time. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY MAY 27, 2021

Quarterly trade between Non-oil exports hit Iran, Turkey rises 53%

ECONOMY TEHRAN — The value of trade between deskIran and Turkey rose by 53 percent in the $6.3b in 2 months, first quarter of 2021 from the first quarter of 2020, Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agricul- ture (TCCIMA) reported, based on the official statistics released by Turkey. up 48% yr/yr The report put the worth of the two countries’ bilateral trade at $986 million in the first three months of this year. Of the mentioned figure about $505 million was related 1 Iran’s top five non-oil export des- in terms of weight and value, respectively. to Iran’s exports to Turkey and about $481 million was tinations during this period were with Meanwhile, the country’s top five sources related to Iran’s imports from this country. Meanwhile, $2 billion worth of exports, Iraq with $953 of imports during these two months were in the first quarter of 2020, Iran’s main trade with - million, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the UAE with $1.8 billion, China with $1.5 key was related to Iran’s imports from this country, while with over $849 million, Turkey with $388 billion, Turkey with $642 million, Germany during the first quarter of 2021, Iran’s trade balance with million, and Afghanistan with $365 million. with $285 million, and with $283 Turkey was positive. According to the official, the mentioned million worth of imports. soybean oil were the most imported items percent of the weight and 33 percent of five countries accounted for 68 percent and Mobile phones, corn, sunflower oil, meal, during this period. the total value of imports, according to 73 percent of Iran’s total non-oil exports wheat, soybeans, rice, barley, sugar and crude These 10 items accounted for 69.5 Mir-Ashrafi. Transit of goods via Iran rising 1 The IRICA report said that Shahid Rajaei Spe- The latest report in the field of transit was released by cial Zone in with 3.305 million tons, IRICA on Wednesday, as the IRICA director-general an- Bazargan in West Azarbaijan province with 703,000 tons, nounced that 1.841 million tons of goods were transited Bashmaq in with 687,000 tons, Sarakhs through the territory of Iran during the first two months in Khorasan Razavi with 457,000 tons, Imam Khomeini Port of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-May 21), in with 447,000 tons, Bileh Savar in which has increased by 142 percent compared to the same with 337,000 tons, Jolfa in East Azarbaijan period last year. province with 312,000 thousand tons, Razi in West Azarbaijan This increase indicates an improvement in the transit of province with 188,000 tons, Astara in with goods across customs borders of the country, a reduction 156,000 tons and Bandar Lengeh in Hormozgan province in coronavirus-related restrictions and a reduction in the During the first quarter of 2021, Iran’s imports from with 139,000 tons of transited goods, were the country’s impact of sanctions, Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi stated. Turkey increased by about 29 percent compared to the top 10 customs in terms of the volume of transits. Considering its geographical location, Iran can play a same period last year, and during the same period, Iran’s Also, the reports related to the transit via the country in significant role in the transit of goods in the region and exports to this country increased by 87 percent, which the current Iranian year indicate a rising trend. benefit a lot from its status in this due. To take full advan- caused Iran’s trade balance with Turkey from minus $104 For example, transit of goods through Shahid Rajaee port, tage of its location for transit, the country has many plans million in the first quarter of 2020 reach a positive $24.4 Iran’s largest and best-equipped container port, increased province, where the port lies, said that 20,231 twenty-foot underway and, on the agenda, to boost its transit capacity. million in the first quarter of 2021. 160 percent in the first month of the current Iranian calendar equivalent units (TEUs) of commodities were transited via Some of these plans include developing Shahid Rajaee As previously reported by the head of Iran-Turkey Joint year (March 21-April 20), as compared to the same period Shahid Rajaee port in the said month. Port, and also Chabahar Port in the southeast of the country, Chamber of Commerce, Iran has exported $2 billion of of time in the past year, according to a provincial official. Enjoying the most modern container terminals and port connecting the ports to the railway network, development commodities to Turkey in 2020. Alireza Mohammadi Karajiran, the director-general of equipment, Shahid Rajaee accounts for 85 percent of the of transit via railway, and also some customs measures Putting Iran’s imports from Turkey at $2.254 billion in Ports and Maritime Department of Iran’s southern Hormozgan total loading and unloading at the Iranian ports. such as improving transit procedures in the customs offices. 2020, Mehrdad Sa’adat said, “Iran-Turkey trade declined highly in 2020, while we had experienced an annual bi- lateral trade of $15 billion, and meanwhile our target is to reach $30 billion”. Negotiations underway for renewing TCCIMA hosts seminar on Iran- Different factors led to decline in trade between the two neighbors in the previous year, among them the U.S. gas export deal with Turkey Armenia trade opportunities sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic were the most ECONOMY TEHRAN – Head of ECONOMY TEHRAN – Tehran Armenia and entering and then outstanding ones, he noted. deskthe National Iranian Gas deskChamber of Commerce, Russia. Saying that Iran-Turkey Joint Chamber of Commerce Company (NIGC) said natural gas exports to Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA), Before the seminar, the Armenian officials is looking for a roadmap to improve trade transactions Turkey are ongoing under the framework of on Wednesday, hosted a seminar on Iran and had also held a meeting with the TCCIMA between the two sides, Sa’adat said, “In this regard, last the current 25-year contract between the two Armenia’s trade opportunities and ways for head to discuss ways of expanding trade and year, the issue of trade ethics between the two countries countries and negotiations are also underway boosting mutual economic relations. economic relations between the two neighbors. was addressed and some indicators were selected in this for extending the deal. As reported by the TCCIMA portal, the In that meeting, Khansari mentioned the field, because if we want to improve the volume of trade “The current contract with Turkey is ef- event was attended by government officials free trade agreement signed between Iran and and achieve the goals, we must take action to solve the fective and exports to this country are on- from the two sides including TCCIMA Head the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and root problems.” going while correspondence has been made the two governments, but in any case, we Masoud Khansari and Head of Armenia’s state noted that Armenia is the only member of the “Preliminary studies have shown that many problems to extend the contract,” Hassan Montazer try to export to this country through private revenue committee Edvard Hovhannisyan, union that shares a land border with Iran. arise from business ethics that need to be addressed in Torbati told ILNA on Wednesday. sector companies,” Torbati added. Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Artashes He called the development of economic order to alleviate the problems that traders are struggling Many of Turkey’s gas contracts with other Iran is Turkey’s second-biggest supplier Toumanian as well as the representatives of relations between the two countries a big with, and this issue was addressed last year, and we hope countries are in the final stages, all of which of natural gas after Russia. Tehran sells about the two countries private sectors. step for Iran and Armenia’s presence in for a favorable outcome”, he added. affect each other, Torbati noted, adding: “In 10 billion cubic meters a year of gas under a The attendees of the seminar explored third markets. During the 27th meeting of Iran-Turkey Joint Economic any case, I think that given that we are going 25-year supply deal to Turkey which it uses ways of increasing the level of trade between Khansari further expressed dissatisfac- Committee, which was held in Ankara in mid-September to offer part of our natural gas in the energy for electricity generation. the two countries and stressed the need for tion with the current level of trade between last year, the two sides investigated different ways of reach- exchange, there is room for the development The gas exports are carried out via a 2,577 taking necessary measures for the facilitation the two countries and noted that Iran and ing the targeted $30-billion bilateral trade and reiterated of contracts, whether through the NIGC and km (1,601 miles) pipeline running from of economic interactions between the two Armenia have great potentials for boosting that reaching this figure is possible despite the pressures the Oil Ministry or private companies and to Ankara. countries’ private sectors. their economic transactions. of the U.S. sanctions. in this regard the energy exchange can be a Turkey imported 7.7 billion cubic meters They also addressed some of the barriers Referring to the establishment of special- During the meeting, the Iranian president’s chief of staff, good space for future gas exports.” of gas from Iran in 2019 or some 17 percent and issues on the trade of Iranian commercial ized desks for promoting trade with some Mahmoud Vaezi, who is the Iranian chairman of the com- The NIGC head further said that Turkey of its total gas imports. and manufacturing companies with their of the neighboring countries in TCCIMA, mittee, mentioned expediting the process of implementing has made some changes in its energy import After the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions Armenian counterparts. the official announced the establishment bilateral agreements on trade and economic issues as the procedures and has somehow included the in November 2018, Turkish President Recep Speaking in the meeting, which was orga- of an Armenian desk in this chamber with most prioritized objective of the joint committee and said private sector in its gas contracts, In Iran, Tayyip Erdogan made it clear that his country nized by the Iran-Armenia Joint Chamber of the cooperation of the two countries’ Joint Iran has no limitation for expanding and deepening coop- in addition to the Oil Ministry, the private would continue to buy natural gas from the Commerce in collaboration with TCCIMA, Chamber of Commerce in the near future. eration with Turkey. sector may also enter the arena as well. Islamic Republic. Hovhannisyan announced his country’s read- Hovhannisyan for his part described Regarding gas exports to Afghanistan, Natural gas exports from Iran to Turkey iness for facilitation of cooperation between the seminar on Iran and Armenia trade the official noted: “Exports to this country came to a halt on March 31, 2020, after an the two sides to improve the trade relations opportunities as the first serious step in Parliament approves general are also being pursued and we are mainly explosion and fire at a pipeline on the Turkish between Iranian and Armenian companies. the development of economic relations outlines of CGT plan focused on regional companies and exports side of the border; the reasons for the blast He also announced his country’s decision between the two countries and said that to cities near the border.” were not officially announced. to reduce customs duties on Iranian trucks the Armenian state-run and private sectors ECONOMY TEHRAN — During an open session of the “Exports to Afghanistan depend on Iran resumed gas exports to Turkey after entering Armenian territory, noting that Ira- welcome any measure to improve mutual deskparliament on Wednesday, the Iranian MPs communication and initial assurances by a three-month hiatus. nian trucks will have no problem crossing trade relations. approved the general outline of capital gains tax (CGT) plan. As reported, the parliament’s Economic Committee’s report on the mentioned plan was discussed and approved in the session. Private sectors of Iran, Ukraine hold online meeting to discuss trade The recent shift of liquidity from production to the un- ECONOMY TEHRAN – Iran Chamber of Commerce, restrictions imposed by the U.S. sanctions on Iran have productive markets in Iran has caused high inflation and deskIndustries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCI- negatively affected the two countries’ trade with each other, damage to some industries in the country. MA) held an online specialized meeting in collaboration mainly due to problems with financial exchanges. with the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry “One of the best solutions for increasing the volume of (UCCI) to explore ways of expanding trade ties between trade between the two countries is a serious focus on the the two countries. agriculture sector,” he stressed. The virtual event was attended by the head of the two Gennadiy Chyzhykov, the UCCI president, for his part countries’ chambers of commerce, the head of Iran-Ukraine expressed satisfaction with the appropriate level of coop- Joint Chamber of Commerce, as well as officials and private eration between the two countries’ chambers of commerce. sector representatives from both sides, the ICCIMA portal He referred to a memorandum of understanding signed reported. between the two chambers in 2017, and said: “This cooperation Cooperation in the agriculture sector was the main focus has been established according to the 2017 memorandum of the mentioned event since most of the trade exchanges and fortunately, is still ongoing.” between the two countries in the previous year were related Chyzhykov put the level of trade between the two coun- to agricultural products. ICCIMA Head Gholam-Hossein Shafeie (C) and Head of tries in the previous year at about $400 million, noting Speaking in the meeting, ICCIMA Head Gholam-Hossein Iran-Ukraine Joint Chamber of Commerce Hamidreza that 95 percent of the mentioned figure was allocated to Shafeie called the meeting a new beginning for trade talks Ghadi (L) agricultural products. between the private sectors of the two countries and stated: “This indicates the significant role of the agricultural “This is the first specialized meeting between businessmen tries’ chambers of commerce and the exchanges of trade sector in relations between Iran and Ukraine,” he added. of the two countries, and due to the high capacities of the delegations in the past, Shafeie praised the activities of the Elsewhere in the meeting, the Head of Iran-Ukraine Joint As many experts believe, the imposition of capital gains two countries in the agriculture sector, we dedicated this Iran-Ukraine Joint Chamber of Commerce and its impact Chamber of Commerce Hamidreza Ghadi stressed the need tax is the only way to exit the liquidity from the unproductive meeting to this field.” on the future of trade between the two countries. for promoting barter trade between the two countries as a markets and lead it to production. Referring to the close relations between the two coun- According to the official, unfortunately, in recent years, good way for boosting the two sides’ trade level. As defined by the Investopedia, capital gains tax is a levy assessed on the positive difference between the sale price of the asset and its original purchase price. Long-term capital gains tax is a levy on the profits from the sale of assets held for more than a year. Short-term capital gains tax applies to TEDPIX gains 3,900 points on Wednesday assets held for a year or less, and is taxed as ordinary income. ECONOMY TEHRAN — TEDPIX, The first market’s index increased 4,139 prosperity of the capital market. He emphasized that the approach of While CGT prevents the wealth to be owned just by a deskthe main index of Tehran points, and the second market’s index rose “Stability of all markets along each other the Central Bank is to support the capi- few people, it leads the liquidity toward production, and Stock Exchange (TSE), rose 3,916 points 3,540 points. is of utmost importance for the central bank, tal market, stating: “One of my personal help re-distribution of wealth and income in the society. to 1.109 million on Wednesday. The Governor of the Central Bank of Iran therefore the bank supports the stability of economic beliefs is that our problem in It was in the middle of the Iranian calendar year 1391 As reported, 4.542 billion securities worth (CBI) has said predictability of the economy the capital market,” Abdolnasser Hemmati economics is the underdevelopment of (March 2012-March 2013) that economic officials appar- 34.305 trillion rials (about $816.7 million) is a prerequisite for the stability of markets said in a meeting with the representatives financial markets and capital market in ently thought of passing a capital gains tax law. were traded at the TSE on Wednesday. adding that the central bank welcomes the of the capital market. particular.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MAY 27, 2021 ANALYSIS/INTERVIEW 5

Hundreds of Amazon U.S. failed badly in employees call for the company leadership to support Palestine

More than 500 Amazon employees have signed an internal letter to West Asia: academic Jeff Bezos and Andy Jassy calling for the company to acknowledge the plight of the Palestinian people. 1 Those forces sparked the biggest have synergized all these projects, tactics The move comes after Israeli airstrikes devastated Palestinians public disagreement yet between Biden and and strategies into the BRI, a largely capi- in Gaza, leaving 248 people dead. Hamas and Israel have since some American political circles. talist development mode to build land and agreed to a ceasefire. Bilveer points to the influence of Zionist sea infrastructures that would benefit the “We ask Amazon leadership to acknowledge the continued lobbies in the U.S. and the pressure they put economic development of the world at large. assault upon Palestinians’ basic human rights under an illegal on Biden to support Israel. That is the great part of the BRI and China, occupation... without using language that implies a power symmetry “The political culture and immense influ- and there is no competitor to this esp. at a or situational equivalency, which minimizes and misrepresents ence of the Jewish lobby will constrain when time when the West is weak and declining, the disruption, destruction, and death that has disproportionately Biden as what he can do will be limited by and the West’s decline would be sped up been inflicted upon the Palestinians in recent days and over sev- the Jewish and Zionist hawks to pressure by the COVID-19 pandemic and the general eral decades,” employees wrote. “Amazon employs Palestinians the U.S. including Biden to support their decline in global trade. in Tel Aviv and Haifa offices and around the world. Ignoring the policies even if is negative for the U.S. as is In short, you ask yourself this question: suffering faced by Palestinians and their families at home erases the present Israeli aggression against the what has the West give the world today? our Palestinian coworkers.” Palestinians.” Political democracy when even in the U.S. Employees want the company to terminate business contracts Following is the text of the interview: and Western Europe minorities are at risk with organizations that are complicit in human rights violations, like What is your view of China’s posi- [Blacks and Asians are being attacked on a the Israeli Defense Forces. In April, Amazon and Google signed a tion in the new world order? Is China daily basis]. Economic growth when these $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. going to be a new hegemon? Western societies are in decline and in grave, The note echoes similar petitions from workers at Apple and China is a rising power; it still got a long “The first Western power to play the perpetual debt; Military security when they Google. On May 18th, Jewish employees at Google penned a letter way to go to reach the level and status of being Westerners, though still powerful, are losing to Sundar Pichai calling for the company to “reject any definition a superpower where it can dictate and act politics of extremism in the Middle East one war after another; remember, ISIS was of antisemitism that holds that criticism of Israel or Zionism is like a gangster, as the U.S. has been; it will (West Asia) was Britain which nurtured the defeated not by the U.S. but by Russia, Iran antisemitic.” Two days later, The Verge published a note from probably reach the status of a superpower and . Muslim employees at Apple. in the next 10-15 years, assisted by the fact Saudis and Wahhabis into an alliance in So, what does the West have to offer the Muslim tech workers say executives have been slow to voice that the U.S. is a fast-declining power; the order to contain the Ottomans.” world? Nothing; China does not pretend it support for Palestinians, or condemn the violence in Gaza. Many former USSR is only regional power with wants to export democracy or human rights, feel their CEOs are choosing to ignore Israeli human rights abuses some global outreach; Japan is essentially did more harm to U.S. interests than anyone gain control of their oil and gas resources as something which even the West is in great because the situation is fraught. The result, according to multiple a weak state and got a long way to go else in the last 50 years or so. Just look at well as the strategic (Persian) Gulf region. deficit; China just wants to develop the world sources, is that Muslims in tech feel undervalued and ignored. before achieving great power hood. how Trump and his advisers failed the U.S. The first Western power to play the pol- economically and if you want this good, com- So, yes, China will be a great power but and Americans when it came to COVID-19. itics of extremism in the Middle East (West modity, or service, then you go to China only; whether it will be a hegemon is another story. I think Biden is more experienced and Asia) was Britain which nurtured the Sau- and no one wants the dysfunctional Western ’s ex-junta chief seizes I think China will emerge as a global economic better adept rather than Trump in the complex dis and Wahhabis into an alliance in order democracy, human rights, etc. when these power in the next decade or so, and the more world of diplomacy esp. with former Obama to contain the Ottomans. Since then, this societies themselves are historical purveyors power after military nabs the West, esp. the U.S., places blocks in its experienced officials to help him. practice has continued with new variants of genocides and human rights violations and interim president way, the faster it will rise. But hegemony in a So, Biden will be much more effective, and complexities. The external players are violence in the past; what did the Whites do constructive and will be trying to gain U.S.’s not just the West but also champions of var- new world and where there is no real order, to the native Americans, or the Whites do to Mali’s military strongman Assimi Goita says the removal from influence in a more constructive fashion. ious Islamist ideologies such as the Saudi is difficult. As a military and political power, the natives in and , power of the country’s interim president and vice president in recent Except maybe in Israel where the political Wahhabis, who have been the key sources China got a long way to go. or the Whites did to many natives in Africa, days was the right move, alleging that the now detained leaders culture and immense influence of the Jewish of instability in the Middle East (West Asia) Hence, China will only be a hegemon, like the Germans in Namibia? intended to sabotage the transition process with an uncalled-for lobby will constrain when Biden as what he can and Muslim regions in the world at large, meaning able to dictate its way and rules in its So, the Whites, esp. the U.S., the UK, and decision to reshuffle the cabinet. do will be limited by the Jewish and Zionist including in Southeast Asia, because they immediate neighborhood but not further away Australia should stop playing the game of Transitional President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar hawks to pressure the U.S. including Biden, want to spread their Wahhabi-Salafi-Jihadi in Africa, Latin America, or North America. being champions of human beings when their Ouane – tasked with steering Mali to civilian rule nearly ten months to support their policies even if is negative for ideology through their petrodollars [now in Even as China rises as a powerful state, there hands are soaked with the blood of millions after a Goita-led coup - were taken into custody at a military base the U.S. as is the present Israeli aggression decline] as well as in competition with Iran, are other states that can constrain China of non-Whites. outside the capital Bamako on Monday evening, sparking an im- against the Palestinians. Until the U.S. does the Shia leader, for the hearts and minds of and hence, China’s outreach and ability to So, in today’s realities, China has much to mediate reaction by former colonial power France. not decouple itself from Israel, the Americans the Muslims world over. impose its will and influence will not be that offer, not the West, and this is why it would French President Emmanuel Macron slammed the move as a will always be losers in the Middle East (West I believe the Middle East (West Asia), easy. It will have to negotiate, not impose, its win this coming war, with the support of “coup within a coup” and threatened to impose sanctions. Asia) and will not win much support and being the centers of Sunni and Shia Islam even influence in the coming years. Yet unlike the the rest of the world except for those who Former junta leader Goita, who was lately serving as interim sympathy in the Muslim World. though not demographically, will continue U.S., China does not use force as liberally as perpetrated crimes against humanity in the vice president, justified the arrest of the interim leaders and sei- What are the roots of emerging to be the fountainheads of extremism and Western states. Today, Chinese leaders will past. This war will be won through economics zure of power by claiming that the two had failed to consult him terrorist groups in West Asia? Some this will harm the world at large, as it has till ask – what is the use of force and what benefit and if the West tries to use military power about a government reshuffle in which two former coup leaders observers attribute it to poverty and today. Whether it is the al-Bannas, Qutbs, will it accrue here – none. So, the logic today to stop this from happening, it will then be lost their cabinet positions. injustice, while others think that these Osamas, or Baghdadis, a key export of the is not to use force but rather use diplomacy destroyed permanently. In his statement, Goita further pledged to hold elections next groups have been fabricated to secure Middle East (West Asia) has been extremism and economic power to gain its influence, How do you assess the 25-year part- year to restore an elected government as previously planned. Western powers’ interests. and this will remain for some time. something it has been successful for quite nership between Iran and China? Is France, which continues to hold major political and military I don’t think there is a simple answer: no How may China’s Belt and Road in- some time. The U.S. has been trying to engage China a trustworthy party when it influence over Mali, joined the U.S., the European Union as well terrorist is born; he becomes one over time. itiative change the regional security and force the Chinese to use military power comes to partnership? as the United Nations, the African Union (AU) and the Economic This is due to internal and external failures. regimes? Do you expect development in order to weak and bankrupt her, including I think no country can be trusted. China Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to condemn the The states in the Middle East (West Asia) of trade ties between Asian countries forcing states to become anti-China, esp. in will not trust Iran and Iran will not trust detentions and demanded their immediate release. have failed their people badly and this has that would help bring them closer to- Asia but so far, the U.S. has failed. All the China. That is political common sense. Just The demand was further echoed on Tuesday by other Western created all kinds of conditions to promote gether? American provocations in the South China remember, through the 1950s and 1960s, governments such as Britain and Germany. extremism and terrorism. At the same time, The BRI is a major game-changer; it is Sea or Straits areas are not working Iran and the U.S. were one family, but by “We are prepared to take in the coming hours targeted sanc- external parties have exploited these internal purported an economic strategy but with and only forcing states into the region to the end of 1979, they became sworn ene- tions against those” responsible, Macron declared during a press fault lines to pursue their policies to create a severe political, diplomatic and even stra- realize that China cannot be ignored; the mies till today. This is politics. Both China briefing at the end of an EU summit. cauldron of instability in the region so that tegic implications. The Chinese have been Americans can come and go, but China is and Iran are civilizational states and they France has deployed more than 5,000 troops in Mali in a purported the West esp. the U.S. and allies can control at work in the world, esp. Third World since permanently basing here, and hence, Chinese know what really drives close relations is the move to combat the growing presence of militants in the Sahel. these weak and largely feudalistic Arab states, the 1970s and over the last ten years or so, power is a fact and reality that no one in the convergence of interests. As long as Beijing “Sanctions will be adopted against those who stand in the way region can ignore. and Teheran can align their interests, they of the transition,” EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell also It seems that the U.S. under the “The Saudi Wahhabis have been the key will be compelled to work closely together warned in a Twitter post. Trump presidency undermined global sources of instability in the Middle East for mutual benefits. The 25-year Iran-China A delegation from the Economic Community of West African stability, especially in West Asia. Do Partnership is a great start in this direction; a States (ECOWAS) arrived in Mali on Monday to help resolve the you see any change in the new U.S. (West Asia) and Muslim regions in the political commitment by both countries and dispute. ECOWAS played a key role in the formation of the interim administration’s policies? world at large, including in Southeast Asia, leaders to work together and with many areas government after the August coup. Compared to Trump, Biden’s U.S. is more identified, including military, the challenge constructive and creative in trying to impose because they want to spread their Wahhabi- will be to put meat into the partnership and and gain its influence. Trump was totally in- Salafi-Jihadi ideology through their petro make it alive and relevant for decades to Resistance News experienced in foreign policy, and he thought dollars [now in decline] in competition with come. I believe Iran and China are natural that he could make a deal anywhere as he partners and they will go a great length in Palestinian protesters slam would make business deals; he failed badly Iran, the Shia leader, for the hearts and developing close ties for the benefit of regional in the Middle East (West Asia) and Asia. He minds of the Muslims world over.” and global peace, and more importantly, for Blinken’s visit to Ramallah was badly served by hawkish advisers who the benefit of their people. INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — Palestinian protesters have taken deskto the streets of Ramallah to protest a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the West Bank city and China slams latest deceptive U.S. push to wage new COVID-19 probe his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. China has slammed the U.S. for “spreading conspiracy theories Instead, the WHO-led team pointed out that the virus The demonstration, which was organized by the Palestinian and disinformation” following Washington’s latest push to most likely jumped from bats to humans via an interme- National and Islamic Forces, took place on Tuesday. wage a new probe into the origins of the coronavirus, even diate animal. The expert report had initially emphasized Before being met with police, the participants marched in after a recent World Health Organization (WHO) mission that a theory involving the virus leaking from a lab was Ramallah, chanting slogans such as “America is the head of the to China proved inconclusive. “extremely unlikely.” snake,” “Security coordination is shameful,” and “The Oslo Ac- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian once The Wall Street Journal also claimed in its latest report cords are gone.” again accused Washington on Wednesday of “spreading on the matter that the Chinese researchers had collected They also carried mock coffins of children who lost their lives conspiracy theories and disinformation such as a laboratory samples seven years earlier from a mine in southwestern during the recent Israeli onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip. leak” after the right-wing Wall Street Journal newspaper China, where miners contracted a mysterious illness from Tel Aviv launched the bombing campaign against Gaza on May cited U.S. intelligence to claim that three lab workers from a new, bat-borne coronavirus. 10, after Palestinian retaliation against violent raids on worshipers Wuhan – where the contagion originated – were hospitalized The theory that the contagion had leaked from the Chinese at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the regime’s plans to force with COVID-19-like symptoms in November 2019, a month lab was originally hyped up by, among others, the admin- a number of Palestinian families out of their homes at Sheikh before the pandemic’s first declared case. istration of former U.S. president Donald Trump as part of Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem al-Quds. Zhao further described the U.S.-led revival of the theory his hawkish anti-China policies. Apparently caught off guard by unprecedented rocket barrages as “disrespectful” to the WHO investigation, insisting that Since infecting its first victims in the central Chinese from Gaza, Israel announced a unilateral ceasefire on May 21, which the move amounted to “undermining of global solidarity city of Wuhan in late 2019, the pandemic has spread to Palestinian resistance groups accepted with Egyptian mediation. to fight the virus.” nearly every country across the globe, killing more than According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 253 Palestinians were Calling on Washington to open its own virology facilities 3.4 million people so far. consensus and an effective way to address concerns and killed in the Israeli offensive, including 66 children and 39 women, to scrutiny, the Chinese official then emphasized, “If the U.S. Meanwhile, China also called on the US earlier this month build mutual trust.” and 1948 others were wounded. really wants full transparency, then it should, like China to give a full clarification on its bio-military activities at home The Chinese diplomat further underlined that the United Political activist Amal Khraisheh, who took part in the demon- did, invite WHO experts to visit the U.S. and investigate.” and abroad, a matter of concern shared by Russia and others. States must agree to the creation of a special monitoring stration, stressed, “America’s pro-Israel policies have to change “Open up Fort Detrick military base as early as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying mechanism that would ensure the effective exchange of to achieve real peace and justice in West Asia.” and all the bio labs the U.S. has around the world,” Zhao said during a May 12 press briefing that it was essential for crucial biotechnological information with other countries. During a meeting with Blinken, Abbas said the reinforcement further underlined, referring to an American research facility Washington to place such activities under effective inter- However, she expressed regret that no meaningful response of the Gaza truce paves the way for the prompt start of a political in Maryland, near Washington, DC. national control. has yet been received from the American side. process that ends the Israeli occupation of Palestine under the The development came after the theory that the coro- “We insist the US side should take real action to ensure “The whole international community is interested in supervision of West Asia Quartet and in line with international navirus emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology was full transparency and security of projects that are related this,” she said. “It is very annoying that the legitimacy resolutions. again highlighted by U.S. authorities and media outlets in an to biological experiments at U.S. laboratories,” Hua added. has shrugged off the concerns of other countries, including The top U.S. diplomat, for his part, announced plans to provide apparent bid to wage yet another probe into the origins of the “We once again call on the U.S. side to give a detailed Russia.” tens of millions of dollars in aid to Gaza. deadly virus following the WHO mission to the Chinese city. clarification and take concrete actions, to ensure the legiti- The United States dropped hundreds of thousands of He also said the process to reopen the U.S. Consulate in al-Quds The long-delayed report by WHO, by the team of interna- macy, transparency and security of its bio-labs and relevant germ bombs with cholera and plague on Pyongyang alone will begin soon. The measure will restore ties with the Palestinians, tional experts sent to Wuhan and their Chinese counterparts, activities. A verification mechanism should be established during the Korean War, and hundreds of thousands or even which had been downgraded by the administration of former U.S. drew no strong conclusions about the origins of the pandemic. under the Biological Weapons Convention, which is a global millions elsewhere all over China and Korea. president Donald Trump. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 HERITAGE & TOURISM MAY 27, 2021

‘Iranians, Armenians Gigantic agritourism site enjoy deep, long-standing correlation’ 1 Also known as the Qareh Klise (“the Black Church”), St. to open in Ardebil Thaddeus, as one of the oldest surviving Christian monuments in the country, is situated in Chaldoran county some 20 kilometers from Maku, adjacent to the borders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and TOURISM TEHRAN – A massive it creates a new chain and diversity in Turkey. The ancient Church shows off elaborate bas-reliefs of deskagritourism site will the field of production and services. flowers, animals, and human open its doors to the public in Ardebil Agritourism and nature-tourism figures on its façade and exte- province, the provincial tourism chief enterprises might include outdoor rior walls. It bears verses of Old has said. recreation (fishing, hunting, wildlife and New Testament in Armenian The site, which is reportedly the study, horseback riding), educational calligraphy as well. largest in West Asia, is scheduled to be experiences (cannery tours, cooking The inaugurated by the Cultural Heritage, classes, or tea or coffee tasting), en- stands tall on the outskirts of Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali- tertainment (harvest festivals or barn Maku. The name narrative- Asghar Mounesan in his future visit dances), hospitality services (farm ly originates from a famous to the northwestern province, Nader stays, guided tours, or outfitter ser- painter Hovans Yerz, known as Falahi announced on Wednesday. vices), and on-farm direct sales (u-pick Dzordzortzi, who supervised the The agritourism site includes large operations or roadside stands). chapel’s restoration for a while. agricultural lands, 2,600 hectares of Agritourism is a subset of a larger What is present now is a rem- orchards, livestock complex, sugar fac- industry called rural tourism that in- nant of the large monastery that tory, dairy factory, fruit processing cludes resorts, off-site farmers’ markets, once existed there, as the entire factory, and several other units, the non-profit agricultural tours, and other chapel has been shifted to a new official explained. leisure and hospitality businesses that location 600 meters away due This relatively new branch of tourism attract visitors to the countryside. to submergence resulting from a dam that was built on the river. is expected to develop in the prov- Sprawling on a high, windswept St. Thaddeus Monastery plays hosts an annual religious ritual ince since Ardebil issues most of the plateau, Ardebil is well-known for every summer. Last July, it hosted over 3,000 Christian wor- agritourism permits in the country, having lush natural beauties, hospi- shippers coming together from Iran, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, he added. table people, and its silk and carpet the , France, , Germany, , and some He also expressed hope that Ardebil trade tradition. It is also home to the other countries. would be turning into one of the main UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al- Earlier this month, the Islamic Republic unveiled a commem- hubs of agritourism in the country in Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble. orative stamp of Saint Thaddeus Church on the sidelines of a joint near future. to activities conducted on private ag- the customer services jobs, agritourism The province is freezing in winter and online philatelic exhibition. Agritourism is a relatively new ricultural lands, which might include pays special attention to the production mild in summer, attracting thousands branch of the travel industry in which fee-hunting and fishing, overnight stays, sector, saying agricultural tourism is every year. The capital city of Ardebil is tourists stay with local people in rural educational activities, etc. much more important and practical usually recorded as one of the coldest Sassanid-era bridge in Lorestan areas. Farm/ranch recreation refers Experts believe that in addition to than other branches of tourism because cities in the country in winter. undergoes restoration

HERITAGE TEHRAN –A new round of restoration has deskcommenced on Pol-e Si-Pelleh, a Sassanid era (224 CE–651) arch bridge located in Kuhdasht, western Lorestan Museum of Turkmen arts inaugurated province, the provincial tourism chief has said. HERITAGE TEHRAN – A cultural heritage mu- parts of Central Asia and numbered more than six desk The project involves strengthening the foundation and the seum dedicated to traditional arts of million at the beginning of the 21st century, according deck, using traditional and local materials to preserve the orig- Turkmen tribes has been inaugurated in Gonbad-e to Britannica. inality of the structure, Amin Qasemi announced on Tuesday. Kavus in the northern . About one-third of the total population lives in Iran, The historical monument was inscribed on the National Her- The official opening ceremony of the private museum especially in the north, and another 500,000 live in itage list in 1996. was attended by Mohammadreza Kargar, the director northeastern and northwestern Afghanistan. These of museums and historical properties at the tourism groups are called the Transcaspian Turkmen. Pockets of ministry, and several local officials on Monday. Turkmen are found in northern Iraq and Syria. Smaller Addressing the ceremony, Kargar said: “We are groups live in central Turkey, where they have experi- pleased that culture-loving people, who feel respon- enced minority discrimination, especially after 1958. sible for the history and culture of their region, are Golestan is home to hundreds of historical and natural entering the field of museum management and creating sites, with UNESCO-registered Gonbad-e Qabus – a museums at their own expense that can be a source of one-millennium-old brick tower – amongst its most many [other] cultural services.” famous. Narratives say the tower has influenced various Turkmen are people who speak a language belonging subsequent designers of tomb towers and other cylin- to the southwestern branch of the Turkic languages. drical commemorative structures both in the region bears testimony to the cultural exchange between Cen- The majority live in Turkmenistan and neighboring and beyond. The UNESCO comments that the tower tral Asian nomads and the ancient civilization of Iran.

Traditional footwear craft experiences boom in HERITAGE TEHRAN – The art over 3,000 people in the province.” orange, and black as well. deskof handcrafting Giveh, Also called Kalash, particularly in west- In January 2020, Zanjan was designated Lorestan, which is a region of raw beauty, was inhabited by which is a lightweight and breathable ern regions of the country, the footwear as a “world city of filigree” by the World Iranian Indo-European peoples, including the Medes, c. 1000 footwear native to Iran, is flourishing in used to be very popular all over Iran till Crafts Council after the WCC assessors BC. Cimmerians and Scythians intermittently ruled the region towns and villages of Zanjan province, a a couple of decades ago. It was originally visited various craft workshops, stores, from about 700 to 625 BC. local tourism official has said. intended to wear by men, however, in some exhibits, and bazaars of the city in a two- The Luristan Bronzes noted for their eclectic array of Assyrian, “Weaving Giveh has never lost its tradi- regions, they are welcomed by women too day itinerary. Babylonian, and Iranian artistic motifs, date from this turbulent tional value in Zanjan province, and today in the hot summertime. Zanjan makes a base for wider explo- period. Lorestan was incorporated into the growing Achaemenid many enthusiastic young men and women Giveh is usually made from carpet yarn, rations with the architectural wonder of pursue this profession in the villages of leather, and other raw materials so that it , the subterranean delights of Empire in about 540 BC and successively was part of the Seleucid, the province are trained to weave the tra- Parthian, and Sassanid dynasties. Zanjan province,” Elnaz Khodaei added lets the air circulate from its tiny pores. the Katale-Khor caves, colorful moun- on Tuesday, CHTN reported. ditional footwear as home jobs… and for Such shoes traditionally come in white tains, and the UNESCO-registered Takht-e “Each year, hundreds of people across the time being, the craft is practiced by color, but one can find them in red, blue, Soleiman ruins are nearby. Five tourism projects worth $22.6m inaugurated in Ramsar

TOURISM TEHRAN –A total of five tourism-related Restoration to help Ilkhanid mausoleum gain former splendor deskprojects were inaugurated simultaneously HERITAGE TEHRAN –A restoration work has Meaning “Town of the Sultans”, the ancient city of across the northern city of Ramsar on Tuesday. deskbeen commenced on the Ilkhanid era Soltaniyeh was briefly the capital of Persia’s Ilkhanid A traditional restaurant, hydrotherapy center, apartment (1256–1353) mausoleum of Chalabi Oghlou, which stands dynasty (a branch of the Mongol dynasty) during the hotel, and two eco-lodge units came on stream, expected to tall in Soltaniyeh, northwestern Zanjan province, the 14th century. generate 184 job opportunities, directly and indirectly, Ramsar’s provincial tourism chief has announced. Gonbad-e (“The of”) Soltaniyeh is highly recog- tourism chief said during the inauguration ceremony. The restoration project involves strengthening the nized as an architectural masterpiece particularly due to A budget of 950 billion rials ($22.6 million at the official building’s rooftop and dome as well as moisture insu- its innovative double-shelled dome and elaborate interior exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) was allocated to the lation, Amir Arjmand said on Wednesday. decoration. The very imposing dome stands about 50 projects, Nader Saharkhiz mentioned. A budget of 400 million rials ($9,500 at the offi- meters tall from its base. Covered with turquoise-blue Back in February, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inau- cial exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been faience tiles, the stunning structure dominates the sky- gurated tens of tourism-related projects worth 14 trillion rials allocated to the project, which is being carried out by line of Soltaniyeh. (about $334 million) across the country. experienced restorers and cultural heritage experts, the Zanjan is one of the cities founded by Sassanid King official added. (180-242 CE). The province makes a base Also known as Sheikh Barragh mausoleum, Chalabi for wider explorations with the architectural wonder of Oghlou mausoleum is a historical octagonal structure Soltaniyeh, the subterranean delights of the Katale-Khor neighboring the UNESCO-registered . burial place of Sheikh Barragh Baba, a prominent mystic caves, colorful mountains, and the UNESCO-registered According to its inscriptions, the mausoleum is the in the Ilkhanid era. Takht-e Soleiman ruins are nearby.

Pottery vessels unearthed from Kale Kub in eastern Iran HERITAGE TEHRAN – A team lennia BC, IRNA quoted Mohammad Arab lennium BC. However, poor preservation deskof Iranian and foreign as saying and protection have damaged most parts archaeologists has unearthed relics in- The official also noted that allocating of the site. cluding pottery vessels during seasons more funds to research and archeological A special pottery style of 4th millennium of excavation in Kale Kub in , activities could lead to better and more BC, which is seen on the relics found in eastern Iran. detailed information. Kale Kub, is the most important discovery Tourism-related projects worth 220 trillion rials ($5.2 bil- “To date, Kale Kub has been the subject The site has also been fenced to prevent on the site, as this style has been previ- lion) had previously come on stream since President Rouhani of two research projects and three sea- further damage and unauthorized entry ously seen in the western Iranian plateau. inaugurated his second four-year term in 2017, setting a new sons of archaeological excavations, which by vehicles, he added. Since there are two , Dasht-e record with a total investment of 234 trillion rials ($5.5 billion) have yielded positive results,” Sarayan’s A budget of 400 million rials ($9,500 Kavir and Lut , between these two in this sector. tourism chief announced on Wednesday. at the official exchange rate of 42,000 parts of the country, the Kale Kub ex- Possibly the most scenic spot on the Caspian coast, Ramsar A series of pottery vessels found in rials per dollar) has been allocated to the cavations could help us to comprehend is where the jungle-clad lower ridges of the snow-topped Alborz the excavations indicate the beginning fencing project, he mentioned. how the culture made its way to the east. tumble into the sea. It’s a verdant, photogenic area, lush with of urbanization in the region, the official The first season of archeological exca- Covering an area of over nine hectares, Cave, Furg Citadel, and Polond Desert. orange groves, and there are walking trails into the nearby explained. vations on Kale Kub site was implemented the historical site is a listed National Her- Saffron and barberry, the former known hills. Time seems to move more slowly here (especially once Kale Kub is one of the few prehistoric in 2019 in collaboration with Japanese itage property. as the “red gold” in the country, which is you leave the highway), and the town and its hinterland make sites identified in South Khorasan prov- archeologists. Located in eastern Iran, South Khorasan considerably produced in almost all parts a nice place to kick back for a few days, especially in spring ince that demonstrate a cultural sequence The project revealed the chronological is home to many historical and natural of the province, have made it a significant and autumn. spanning between the fifth and third mil- sequence from the 5th to late 4th mil- attractions such as Castle, Dragon destination for ecotourism. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MAY 27, 2021 SOCIETY 7 COVID-19 UPDATES Attracting foreign students more The statistics are related to 24 hours started 2:00 p.m. May 25 than projected: official New cases 10,468 New deaths 163 1 Also, according to the 20-Year Na- to the Web of Science website. tional Vision Document (ending 2025(, According to statistics released by the In- foreign students should account for 1.8 ternational Web of Science Database, Iran’s Total cases 2,865,864 percent of the whole student population, citation rank has always been on the rise over the which is likely to even reach 2 percent, Ak- last eight years, from 24 in 2012 to 16 in 2019. Total deaths 79,219 houndzadeh explained. Iran ranks first in terms of the number of “Some 57,675 foreign nationals from universities in the region and among Islamic 133 countries are studying in Iranian uni- countries, according to Shanghai Ranking’s New hospitalized patients 1,154 versities, 30,600 of whom are studying in Academic Ranking of World Universities universities affiliated with the Ministry of (ARWU) 2020. Science, while 25,000 others are receiving Two Iranian universities have been ranked Total recovered patients 2,362,428 education in Azad University, and about among the top 100 universities in Asia, ac- 2,000 in medical universities.” cording to Webometrics Ranking of World Diagnostic tests conducted 19,185,933 Fifty-seven percent of the international Universities for July 2020. students are studying for a master’s degree, Moreover, 7 Iranian universities have 27 percent for a bachelor’s degree and 15 been listed among the best 1000 worldwide; Doses of vaccine injected 3,330,309 percent are educating to receive a Ph.D., including, Tehran University of Medical while the remaining one percent study at Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of other levels. Medical Sciences, Sharif University of Law, and computer Technology, Tarbiat Modares University, engineering are the top three fields of study Iranian universities shine at world With 47 Iranian universities ranked among University of , for foreign students in Iran, while civil en- rankings 1,527 top universities of 93 countries in the University of Technology, Iran University Iran says stands by Africa gineering, business management, political Times Higher Education has published its world in 2021 rankings, Iran achieved a great of Science and Technology. against ‘vaccine apartheid’ science, English language and literature, annual ranking of the world’s top universi- improvement in the academic field. In June 2020, THE Asia University Rank- ings 2020 ranked five Iranian universities Quran and hadith sciences, international ties for 2021, listing 47 Iranian universities, Some 21 Islamic countries were also list- 1 Developed by researchers at the Headquarters for Executing among the top 100 universities worldwide. relations, and electrical engineering, and which shows an increase of 7 universities ed in the ranking. However, Iran holds the the Order of the Imam, the vaccine was unveiled on December The Center for Science and Technology other majors with the highest number of compared to the last year. highest share with 47 universities. 29, 2020, and started to be mass-produced on March 29. Studies Leiden Ranking has placed 36 Iranian non-Iranian students. Six Iranian universities have been placed With a scientific growth rate of 10.4 per- Meanwhile, a vaccine developed by the Razi Vaccine and Se- universities in the list of over 1,000 major In 2013, 35 centers were allowed to ad- among the world’s top universities announced cent in 2019, Iran ranked second among the rum Research Institute (Razi Cov Pars) is expected to become universities worldwide in 2020 compared mit foreign students, which has increased by the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds top 25 countries in the world, next to China the second Iranian-made vaccine to be administered among the with 26 universities in 2019. to 77 in 2021. (QS) World University Rankings 2021. with a growth rate of 12.9 percent, according population in early August; which started the clinical trial on February 27. Iran has also successfully completed the first phase of the human trial for Fakhra vaccine, the third domestically devel- Tehran, Vienna working on €400,000 of joint environmental projects oped COVID-19 vaccine, named after nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh (he was assassinated in November 2020 near Teh- SOCIETY TEHRAN – Iran and Austria are working dealing with daily such as the environment, water, renewable In November 2020, scientific studies and analyses ex- ran), that was unveiled and started the clinical trial on March 16. deskon 17 joint environmental projects worth energy, sustainable development, etc. tracted from the Scopus International Citation Database “Osvid-19”, the fourth domestic vaccine produced by €400,000, seven of which have so far been completed, ISNA Iran’s significant contribution to world’s scien- showed that the rate of scientific contributions of Iranian Osvah Pharmaceutical Company is also undergoing human reported on Wednesday. tific growth researchers to the world increased from 17 percent in 2011 trials, which will also be available in early September. Out of 17 joint projects between Iran and Austria, seven The share of Iranian articles with international partic- to 31 percent in 2020, becoming the world’s leading country On May 24, the first coronavirus vaccine made by the private projects are almost completed and nine other projects were ipation has had significant growth of 209 percent during in science diplomacy with 14 percent growth. sector in Iran succeeded in receiving the code of ethics and entered delayed due to the conditions caused by the coronavirus an eight-year period (2013-2020), becoming the Islamic The development of international scientific partnerships the phase of clinical studies. pandemic, which are expected to be completed by 2022, world’s leading country in science diplomacy, according to and diplomacy is one of the main policies of Iran, which is Azizollah Habibi, Iran’s Kharazmi University chancellor, said. the Scopus International Citation Database. also emphasized by the country’s higher education system, Estimating the financial capacity of the projects at €400,000 The number of articles indexed by the Iranian researchers Mohammad Javad Dehghani, head of the Islamic World and said that “half of this budget, amounting to €200,000, on the Web of Science website in 2020 increased by 122 Science Citation Center (ISC), said. A glimpse at Iran’s north- is the share of support from Austria and the other half will percent compared to that of 2013, which made Iran 16th in One of the most important indicators of scientific partic- central national parks be paid by Iran. the world with 69,779 articles, and first among the Islamic ipation is the share of the latest joint international scientific Pointing out that the focus of all of the projects is to meet countries for several consecutive years, Gholam Hossein findings in the total scientific publications of the country, North-central is home to two extraordinary arrays the needs of society, he added that issues that people are Rahimi, deputy minister of science has said. he added. of wildlife and natural landscapes, from Touran to Kavir Nation- al Parks, areas with the largest population of endangered Asiatic . Here, we take a glimpse at these wild, wonderful places. More drought predicted for Iran over next 5 years To preserve the existing biodiversity over the wide geographic expanse of Iran, four types of areas have been designated for ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN – According to and the Seventh Development Plan should wet and dry seasons, which mainly causes preservation and protection, including, national parks, wildlife deskthe World Meteorological be prepared on the basis of drought and rainfall fluctuations and water scarcity; the refuges, protected areas, and natural national monuments. In Organization’s multiannual forecast, in the climate change, Ahad Vazifeh, head of same experience happened in the coun- 1997, the Department of the Environment (DOE) held supervision next five years, Iran’s average rainfall will the national center for drought and crisis try this year, as torrential rain started on over 7,563,983 hectares of such areas. By the year 2003, the size decline by 75 percent, and the temperature management said. March 19 led to floods in at least 25 out of of the DOE supervised areas reached 11,791,788.225 hectares. rises by 50-75 percent compared to the long- A large part of the country has been 31 and caused extensive term average. hit by severe drought during the past 12 damages. According to the national center for months. Forecasts indicate that we will not While there have been prolonged drought and crisis management, since have significant rainfall in the remaining droughts nationwide in past recent years the beginning of the current water year months of the current water year, so that, leaving people scrambling for water, then (September 23, 2020), precipitation has we face severe to very severe drought in precipitation started since the current declined by 41 percent compared to the most parts of the country, he stated. crop year (September 23, 2018), hitting long-term average and 53 percent com- Watershed management: a solu- to strengthen the ecosystem in the face the record highs and being so heavy that pared to the same period last year. tion of subsequent droughts by penetrating cities flood. None of the provinces of the country In April, Abolghasem Hosseinpour, rainfall into the ground. Based on the latest data published by received above-normal rainfall during director of flood control at Forests, What would be the consequences? the National Drought Warning and Mon- this period. The lowest rainfall occurred Rangelands, and Watershed Manage- Climate change is a fact that cannot itoring Center, since the current crop year in Hormozgan, -Baluchestan, and ment Organization, said that Iran will be run over, whether the temperature (September 23, 2018), precipitation in the provinces, being short of rain by probably experience drought over the raises over 2 or 6°C, natural incidents country considerably increased to 312 from 86, 82, and 65 percent, respectively. current [Iranian calendar] year (began such as flooding, droughts, and severe 159.3 millimeters in the previous water The national park is a designated part of Iran’s environment - in- In the next four months (June to Sep- on March 21), as only four provinces out storms are among the main consequences year, demonstrating a rise of 95.9 percent. cluding forests, rangelands, woodlands, prairies, water or mountains tember), the central and northwestern of 31 provinces of the country received of climate change. So, nations must take steps to reduce - that is an outstanding representation of Iranian nature. As such, it is provinces will experience normal rainfall normal rainfall last year. Moreover, water and food shortages, greenhouse gas emissions in the future, brought under protection in order to permanently preserve its natural or lower than normal. Given that Iran is an arid and semi-arid water-borne illnesses, cold or heat-relat- preventing the emissions peak, otherwise, ecology and to create a suitable environment for the flourishing of wildlife According to the World Meteorological region, the rainfall rate is low, in other ed deaths will come up as the results of they might not be able to breathe on the and the growth of flora under natural conditions. The national parks Organization, over the next five years (2021- words, the fluctuations of rainfall vary temperature variations; in tropical areas planet in the future, or migrate to other currently cover 1,649,771 hectares of the country’s area. 2025) the average rainfall is expected to significantly from year to year, he added. also the risk of floods will raise. places if found. Protected areas also are significantly important natural re- be 75 percent lower than normal and the Over the last two years, Iran was doused Heavy rain and other extreme weather The study may also come efficient when sources due to its impact on wildlife breeding, preservation of average temperature between 50 to 75 with rain which was unprecedented during events will become more frequent, which it comes to making the people aware of plant life or its natural state. The total area of regions protected percent higher than the long-term average. the past 50 years, but last year, the country can lead to floods along with decreasing climate change impact in their own city, is 6,600,601 hectares. Accordingly, the adoption of national faced drought, which shows a 40 percent water quality, but also decreasing availa- within their lifetime, to avoid experiencing A Wildlife refuge has natural habitats and special climate policies to adapt to low rainfall and reduce decrease in rainfall, he explained. bility of water resources in some regions. an entirely new climate that is beyond qualifications, which brought under protection in order to revive the consequences of drought is inevitable, Watershed management is a solution Climate change will also bring extreme human experience. wild animals and is stretching to 3,524,181 hectares. Khar National Park or Touran Wildlife Refuge, sit- uated in the southeast of Shahrud city, stretches to 1,400,000 ENGLISH IN USE hectares while being the second largest reserve in the country after Naybandan Wildlife Refuge. LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION Defined a protected area in 1972, the region also received the title of biosphere reserve by UNESCO and ranked the second biosphere in the world after the Serengeti ecosystem (a geo- graphical region in Africa). Precipitation forecast to reach A wide range of flora and fauna, valuable genetic resources are seen in the area, more importantly, the precious species of ب ارشهــای کشــور در ســه مــاه ِپیــش رو above normal in next 3 months inhabit in the area. -National Park, Wildlife Refuge, and Protected Area consti بیــش از نرمــال اســت The country is predicted to receive above normal rainfall over the tute 8, 17, and 75 percent of the entire area. Ghosts have been .nicknamed Iran’s Africa رئیــس پژوهشــکده ا قلیمشناســی ســازمان هواشناســی گفــت: پیشبین یهــا نشــان next three months (February 20-May 21), head of the climatological Some 41 species of mammals, 167 bird species, 42 reptile .species, and 2 amphibian species have been identified in Touran م یدهــد میــزان بــارش در کشــور در ســه ماهــه پیــش رو )اســفند 97، فروردیــن و research institute affiliated to Iran’s Meteorological Organization The reserve also hosts wild sheep and goats, the goitered اردیبهشــت 98( در حــد نرمــال و متمایــل بــه بیــش از نرمــال خواهــد بــود. .IMO) has said) The whole country will meet normal and above normal rainfalls, gazelle and Indian gazelle, in addition to the largest population .of Persian onager ایمــان باباییــان روز یکشــنبه در گف توگــو بــا خبرنــگار ایرنــا افــزود: مجمــوع The most important animal species are leopard, cheetah, jebeer ب ارشهــا در ســطح کشــور نرمــال و متمایــل بــه بیشــتر از نرمــال اســت امــا در the northern parts will receive above normal rainfall while southern provinces will receive normal to lower-than-normal rainfall, IRNA gazelle, goitred gazelle, wild goat, Northern three-toed jerboa, ,hamster, gerbil, hyrna, wildcat, cape hare, marbled, polecat, caracal نیمــه شــمالی، بیشــتر از نرمــال و در نیمــه جنوبــی در محــدوده نرمــال تــا کمتــر .quoted Iman Babaeian as saying on Sunday ,houbara bustard, Pleske’s ground jay, heron, ferruginous duck از نرمــال خواهــد بــود. This month, northern and eastern provinces will receive rain above eagle, falcon, peregrine falcon, sand grouse, see-see partridge, different buzzards, goshawk, eagle owl, agama, monitor, Iranian وی اظهــار داشــت: ب ارشهــا در اســفندماه 97 در نیمــه شــمالی و شــرقی بیشــتر normal averages, while in the first month of spring precipitation .spiny-tailed lizard, saw-scaled viper, and cobra از نرمــال اســت ، در فروردیــن مــاه 98 نیــز ب ارشهــا در محــدوده نرمــال و بــرای ,will be at normal amounts across the country, he noted, adding during the second month of spring rainfall will reach its peak. The high biodiversity of the region has paved the way for .scientific, educational and research activities in the refuge اردیبهشــت بیشــتر از نرمــال پیشبینــی شــده اســت. (to be contd.) Prayer Times Noon:13:01 Evening: 20:09 Dawn: 4:32 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 5:51 (tomorrow) MAY 27, 2021 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Mohammad Shojaeian Editor-in-Chief: Ali A.Jenabzadeh Play depicting Shahrokh Zargham’s change Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051430 from reprobate to revolutionary on stage Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 TEHRAN – Director Iraqi forces in the southwestern Iranian Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 ART deskReza Bahrami’s troupe city of Abadan. is performing a play based on a true However, in a battle with an Iraqi story that recounts how the 1979 Islamic armored company, he was shot dead by Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 Revolution transformed Shahrokh Zargham heavy machinegun fire. He was beheaded by from a lowlife into an honest and fervent Iraqi forces and Iraqi television announced No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran P.o. Box: 14155-4843 revolutionary. the news of his killing by showing his Zip Code: 1599814713 The play entitled “Buckle” has been beheaded body. written by Kahbod Taraj and is currently No information was published by Iraq on stage at Tehran’s Iranshahr Theater about the fate of Zargham’s remains, as Complex. in his homeland he was called “Hurr of Zargham, as a professional wrestler, was the Revolution”, a phrase that compares famous for his gang activities in Tehran. Zargham with Hurr ibn Riahi, one of Yazid’s A few months before the victory of commanders who joined the troops of Imam the Islamic Revolution, he learned about Hussein (AS) on the eve of Ashura. Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Tinu Salehi stars as Zargham in the play. Islamic Republic, and his struggles against Parisa Moqtadi, Mohammadreza Imanian, GUIDE TO Mohammadreza Pahlavi, Iran’s last monarch. Labkhand Badiei, Mahtab Shokrian and Amir SPIRITUAL AWAKENING Consequently, he became an ardent Adlparvar are the other members of the cast. follower of Imam Khomeini and joined In 2019, a book named “Shahrokh, Hurr the revolutionaries. of the Islamic Revolution” containing articles One who imagines himself to be all-knowing After the Iran-Iraq broke out, he recruited Members of director Reza Bahrami’s troupe perform “Buckle” at Tehran’s by a number of writers about Zargham was will surely suffer on account of his ignorance. a group of his friends to fight against the Iranshahr Theater Complex. published. Imam Ali (AS) Tehran exhibit showcases posters for ’80s, ’90s hits of Iranian cinema Demotte ARTTEHRAN – An exhibition displaying a 1990 masterwork “Close-Up”, which was created by Haqiqi, The Demotte Shahnameh, illustrated manuscript, now dispersed, deskcollection of posters for the hits of Iranian is a highlight of the exhibition. of Ferdowsi’s epic poem, often identified by the name of a former cinema during the 1980s and 1990s opened on Tuesday at “I designed that poster, but I did not put my signature owner, the Paris dealer Georges Demotte (active ca. 1900-23). Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex. on it,” Haqiqi said and added, “Because, Mr. Kiarostami A more accurate designation is “the great Mongol Shahnameh”, The showcase has been organized to spice up the 38th Fajr rejected my proposal to sign it jointly.” for it is generally believed to have been produced for a patron International Film Festival, which opened at the cineplex “When I was preparing the design for the poster, associated with the Il-khanid court and is particularly renowned on Wednesday. he proposed that I use a font applied to a brand of for the intrinsic quality of its paintings. The large format of the Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the toothpaste of the same title for ‘Close-Up’… it was a manuscript and the incorporation of Chinese motifs into the veteran graphic designer Ebrahim Haqiqi who has created creative suggestion.” paintings are characteristic of other Il-khanid examples, like posters for numerous Iranian movies, “In the early 1980s, Haqiqi said that no poster was published for Iranian Rashid ad-Din’s Jame at-tawarikh. when the Farabi Cinema Foundation was launched, its new wave cinema filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui’s 1989 cult The paintings in the Shahnameh are exceptional, however, for managers asked for posters of high international quality.” film “Hamun”. their depiction of emotion, particularly grief, which is achieved “Our designers proved that they could deliver such “I designed a poster for the film, however, it was never through the figures’ gestures and postures, often echoed and posters,” he added. published… only several stills from the movie bearing the amplified by the expressive use of settings. Some features of the “Many of those posters are now on view at this exhibition writing ‘Hamun, a film by Dariush Mehrjui’ were published Graphic designer Ebrahim Haqiqi speaks during the compositions continued in use in later 14th-century and 15th-cen- and several of them were awarded during international to introduce the film,” he said. opening ceremony of a film poster exhibition at Tehran’s tury paintings, but the expressive quality of the illustrations in festivals,” Haqiqi noted. The exhibition, which will run until June 2, is also Charsu Cineplex on May 24, 2021. (FIFF/Sahand Taki) the Mongol Shahnameh was rarely matched in later works. A poster for celebrated filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami’s showcasing a collection of posters for a number of Cuban films. The Mongol Shahnameh has also acquired notoriety from the circumstances surrounding its appearance on the art market and the subsequent dispersal of its pages in various public and private collections. IIDCYA nominates Hamidreza Shahabadi, Demotte is said to have acquired the manuscript in Paris in about 1910; he bought it from Shemavan Malayan, brother-in-law of the well-known dealer Hagop Kevorkian, who had brought it from Tehran. bookmobiles for ALMA 2022 The manuscript is thought to have belonged to the Qajar roy- al library, for it was photographed while still bound by Antoin on writers’ works, the IIDCYA decided to for its 2021 Collection for Young People with and book reading promoter Shahla Eftekhari Sevrugin, court photographer to the rulers Nasser ad-Din Shah announce the previous nominees for the Disabilities. as its nominees for the award in 2022. (1848-96) and Mozaffar ad-Din Shah (1896-1907). award again,” the IIDCYA said in a press He has also written “No One Dares to In addition, the Children’s Book Council Mohammad-Ali Shah (1907-09) and members of his house- release. Do That”, a thriller that was also published of Iran has selected the celebrated writer hold are said to have been selling manuscripts from the dynastic The Iranian Association of Writers for in braille. His credits also include “Goethe Khanian and book reading promoter collection as early as 1908, in order to meet personal expenses. This combination photo shows writer Children and Youth nominated Shahabadi Street Café”, “When Moji Was Lost” and Abdolhakim Bahar as its nominees for the Some of these manuscripts were transmitted to Paris, where Hamidreza Shahabadi and an IIDCYA for the honor in 2021. In addition, the IIDCYA “Vertical Cemetery” 2022 ALMA. collectors were learning to appreciate Persian painting. bookmobile. bookmobiles project received a nomination in The Institute for Research on History The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2020 for the award, the prestigious Swedish of Children’s Literature and the Children’s amounts to SEK 5 million (about €570,000), It is reported that when the manuscript of the Mongol Shahnameh CULTURE TEHRAN – Writer honor to promote children’s and youths’ Book Council of Iran are other Iranian making it the world’s largest award for came into Demotte’s hands it was still bound but that, after he deskHamidreza Shahabadi literature in the world. cultural centers allowed to select Iran’s children’s and young adults’ literature. had failed to find a purchaser at the desired price, he removed and the bookmobiles of the Institute for Shahabadi is also the manager of Madreseh nominations for the Astrid Lindgren The award was established in 2002 by the the binding in order to sell the pages separately, an approach Intellectual Development of Children and Publications, a publisher of school textbooks. Memorial Award. Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs that was well received by collectors. Young Adults (IIDCYA) have nominated by He is the author of “A Smiling Banana”, Previously on Monday, the Iranian to commemorate writer Astrid Lindgren and In 1913, Demotte sold several pages to the collector Charles the institute for the 2022 Astrid Lindgren which was selected by the International Association of Writers for Children and Youth to promote children’s and youths’ literature Vever, and by 1914 ten illustrations from the manuscript had Memorial Award (ALMA) on Wednesday Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) announced writer Fereidun Amuzadeh-Khalili from around the world. been published by W. P. Schulz. Over the next sixty years, il- “According to the reviews carried out lustrations from this manuscript were gradually dispersed by Demotte and other dealers. Dispersed paintings from the Shahnameh have been repeat- edly exhibited and published by scholars. There have been two “The Madness of George III” published in Persian particularly noteworthy attempts to record and analyze the scattered miniatures. CULTURE TEHRAN – A Persian translation of “The fearful treatments he was forced to undergo. It is about the In 1939, Doris Brian prepared an inventory of all fifty-eight deskMadness of George III”, a fictionalized nature of kingship itself, showing how by subtle degrees the known miniatures, and in 1980 Oleg Grabar and Sheila Blair biography of George III, has recently been published by ruler’s delirium erodes his authority and status. published a more thoroughly documented list, along with a series Nashre Ney in Tehran. “The Madness of George III” premiered by director of hypotheses about the original state of the manuscript and a The play has been translated into Persian by Mazdak Nicholas Hytner in London at the Lyttelton Theatre of the historical interpretation of the paintings. Bulori, a professor at Allameh Tabatabai University. National Theatre on November 28, 1991. They argue that the manuscript originally contained about Written by Alan Bennett in 1991, “The Madness of Born in Leeds and a graduate of Oxford University, 280 folios and as many as 180 illustrations, of which, beside the George III” is about the struggle of George III with Bennett is an award-winning dramatist, English actor, fifty-eight identified illustrations, only a few unillustrated text his mental illness and his court’s incompetence to author, playwright and screenwriter who was first seen in pages are known to have survived. handle his condition. the spotlight through his appearance in the satirical play Their study also revealed that changes to the Shahnameh George III’s behavior has often been odd, but now he “Beyond the Fringe” at the Edinburgh Festival. after it reached Paris went far beyond removal of the binding, a is deranged, with rumors circulating that he has even His credits also include “Forty Years On” and “The conclusion that is confirmed by more recent information about addressed an oak tree as the King of Prussia. Doctors History Boys”. the pages purchased by Vever, which are now in the Arthur M. are brought in, the government wavers and the Prince Bennett declined a knighthood and an Oxford University Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Regent maneuvers himself into power. Copies of a Persian translation of Alan Bennett’s play honorary doctorate, but was nominated for an Oscar in 1995 A close examination of Vever’s pages, which include some Bennett’s play explores the court of a mad king, and the “The Madness of George III”. for his adaptation of “The Madness of George III”. bifolios, reveals that they had been subjected to a complex pro- cess of alteration and restoration, which has been documented for other pages as well. The apparent purpose of these changes was to increase the number of salable pages by splitting leaves originally illustrated Iranian classic “Beyond the Fire” on both sides into two separate sheets, each with a painting on one side; the remaining side of each new “page” was thus blank. Various kinds of damage resulting from this process were opens Fajr Intl. Film Festival repaired in various ways; blank pages were covered with new text, either an existing text page or newly written, and miniatures ARTTEHRAN – The 38th Fajr in a confrontation with each other over their director Nora Martirosyan and “Miracle” by were often partly repainted. deskInternational Film Festival shares from their house, which was purchased Min Byung-hun from Korea. Sometimes miniatures were glued to pages from different opened on Wednesday with a screening of by the National Iranian Oil Company. Nozar The official lineup also features Oscar- sections of the text. Contiguous unillustrated pages from the Iranian director Kianush Ayyari’s 1987 classic is in love Asieh, a deaf milkmaid, who helps winning Hungarian director Istvan Szabo’s story of Siavush are thus now paired with illustrations about “Beyond the Fire”. resolve the disagreement. movie “Final Report”, Italian director Claudio Fereidun, Rustam, Eskandar, and Ardashir; one illustration of Due to the pandemic, the organizers Ayyari won the Crystal Simorgh for best Noce’s drama “Padrenostro”, Ukrainian- Siamak Atlasi acts in a scene from director Fereidun and another of Eskandar are now backed by identical avoided a long, drawn-out opening director for this film at the Fajr festival. The Armenian filmmaker Roman Balayan’s “We Kianush Ayyari’s 1987 classic “Beyond verses from the Siavush story. The creation of these new “pages” ceremony, such as traditionally had been movie also received the award for best sound Are Here We Are Close”, Finnish filmmaker the Fire”. must have been accomplished by persons literate in Persian, held at previous editions, as they, along engineer at the event. Antti J. Jokinen’s romance historical drama including a trained calligrapher, but the forgeries were clearly with Ayyari and a group of journalists, sat Over 120 films have been selected to be “Helene”, Bulgarian director Ivaylo Hristov’s Ameen Nayfeh is a highlight of the lineup. aimed at buyers ignorant of the language. in Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex to watch the screened in nine categories during the festival, drama “Fear” and Polish director Piotr “Along the Sea” directed by Akio Fujimoto Although the surviving portions of this Shahnameh manu- nostalgic drama. which will be running until June 2. Domalewski’s drama “I Never Cry”. from Japan, “Anima” by Cao Jinling from script carry no direct information about its original owner or Starring Siamak Atlassi, Parvin Soleimani Fifteen movies, which have previously “Major” directed by Ehsan Abdipur, China, “In the Shadows” by Erdem Tepegoz the circumstances surrounding its manufacture, since its first and Khosro Shojazaed, “Beyond the Fire” been acclaimed at international events, will “Shahrbanu” by Maryam Bahrololumi and from Turkey and “Dogs Did Not Sleep Last appearance in Paris it has been associated with 14th-century Persia. has recently been restored for screening at be competing in Cinema Salvation, the official “Gisum” by Navid Behtoui are the Iranian Night” by Ramin Rasuli from Afghanistan Various opinions have been expressed about its illustrations, the festival. section of the festival. films competing in this category. will also be screened in this section. which reflect tensions between the Il-khanid dynasty and Persian This film highlights part of the miseries Among the films are “Magic Mountains” 15 movies are scheduled to be screened The Iranian movies on the lineup are subjects; it was probably commissioned by Rashid ad-Din’s son that petroleum brought to Iran. by Polish-Dutch director Urszula Antoniak, in Eastern Vista, a section dedicated to films “Magic Genie” directed by Habib Ahmadzadeh, Ghias ad-Din Mohammad in about 1335. The story of the film is about Nozar and “The Island of Lies” by Spanish director Paula from Asian filmmakers. “Asteroid” by Mehdi Hosseinivand and Source: Encyclopedia Iranica Abdolhamid, two brothers who are involved Cons, “Should the Wind Drop” by Armenian “200 Meters” by Palestinian director “Staging” by Alireza Samadi.