WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13545 Wednesday DECEMBER 4, 2019 Azar 13, 1398 Rabi’ Al thani 7, 1441 Intelligence Ministry Forex rate not to be Iran, Wilmots reach Iran’s National Orchestra to arrests members of changed significantly in deadlock over Team perform works by Armenian anti-Revolution network 2 next year’s budget 4 Melli’s future: official 15 composers in Tehran 16 Baqeri: Iran, China reviewing 25- See page 2 year strategic relations document TEHRAN — Mohammad Baqeri, chief tional Relations and cochairman of the U.S. sending of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Iran-China Joint Military Commission. announced on Tuesday that Tehran and “Iran’s Leader views Tehran-Beijing Beijing are reviewing an important docu- relations as strategic. The Chinese pres- ment which will guarantee joint strategic ident has also similar view towards the cooperation for the next 25 years. issue,” Baqeri said. Major General Baqeri’s remarks came He further said, “Iran has drafted an in a meeting in Tehran with Lieutenant important document over the strategy of private General Xia Yoan Ming, the deputy com- 25 years of relationship between the two mander of the Chinese Army’s Interna- nations. 2 Iran starts issuing electronic visas messages for Pakistani citizens TEHRAN - Iran has launched an e-visa Point reported on Monday. system for Pakistani citizens in order to The main purpose of issuing e-visa facilitate their travels through abolishing for Pakistani citizens is to ensure more old-fashioned paper visas. convenient and speedy traveling facili- to Iran E-visas will be issued for Pakistani ties to active workers in tourism industry, citizens by Iranian consulates in four commercial activities and trade, the news [Pakistani] provinces and the Iranian website quoted Iranian embassy sources embassy based in Islamabad, Urdu as saying. 10 Corbyn: I wish NATO didn’t exist Jeremy Corbyn, the current leader wish NATO didn’t exist. I am no fan of of the UK Labor Party, claimed in Western military alliances, indeed I wish a 2014 video that he wished NATO they didn’t exist”, The Daily Mail reported and other Western military alliances on Tuesday. did not exist. Last month, Corbyn reportedly The footage has been publicized just refused to call the NATO alliance a in time for the United Kingdom to host great military success during an inter- a major NATO summit this week, bring- view. Asked if he agreed with the chief ing together world leaders, including US of defense staff, Nick Carter, on the President Donald Trump. latter’s description of NATO as being Mohammad Babaei The footage, reportedly from 2014, the “most successful military alliance shows Corbyn, flanked by Labor candi- in history”, Corbyn replied, “I’m not dates Catherine West and David Lammy, sure I’d define it as that”, according IRNA/ saying, “I am no fan of NATO, indeed I to the Daily Mail. 13 PERSPECTIVE Netanyahu’s London trip nixed after veto from UK officials ARTICLE M.A.Saki Israel prosecution lists 333 witnesses in Netanyahu’s graft cases Maryam Khormaei Deputy editor-in-chief Mehr News Agency By staff & agencies Lisbon, Portugal, later this week. journalist Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did The Haaretz newspaper reported that the not fly to London on Tuesday to meet with U.S. British officials were unhappy that this was to Air pollution and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines be the second time in recent months that Net- Why Germany of a NATO summit, a senior official told Channel anyahu planned a trip to London just to meet the war of wills 13 news. with US officials — this time with short notice, turned its back on According to the report, the UK government at an event with multiple delegations in need of ith the arrival of cold season air said that logistically it cannot accommodate Ne- security and just days after the British capital parallel coalitions in pollution spreads its shadow over tanyahu on such short notice in addition to the was hit by a terror attack. Wcities, especially big ones. other world leaders and their delegations who In addition, the reports of the cancellation Strait of Hormuz Many proposals have been presented are attending the conference. of the trip came as Attorney General Avichai over the past years to reduce air pollu- UK reportedly says not enough notice given Mandelblit released a new version of the charges ermany recently announced it will tion, but no concrete measures have been for Netanyahu’s visit on NATO sidelines; Merkel, against Netanyahu and clarified that the 30- not join the French-led mission in taken so far. Macron said not eager to meet him. day period for him to request to be granted Gthe Strait of Hormuz. This is while, However, anybody who is aware of Sources told Haaretz that Merkel and Macron engulfing the British political system that was parliamentary immunity by the Knesset has not long ago, Berlin’s lack of support for the complexities surrounding the issue rebuffed inquiries about meeting with Netanyahu sure to take priority over any other matter in 10 now officially begun. Paris’s position on “the brain death of does not expect a miraculous solution to on the sidelines of the summit. Downing Street. He held talks with Johnson, Israel’s attorney general has officially submit- NATO” became a hot issue. the problem. In September, Netanyahu flew to London to who was facing a revolt within his Conservative ted his indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Berlin’s stance against Paris reinforc- The illegal and cruel sanctions by the meet with US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper party over his controversial plan to leave the Netanyahu to the Knesset (parliament), laying es the assumption that maybe Germany, Trump administration on Iran has made and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The spon- European Union. out a sweeping case in which an estimated 333 on the eve of Brexit, is trying to prevent the situation more complicated. Sanctions taneously planned trip raised some eyebrows According to Hebrew-language reports, Ne- witnesses, including wealthy friends and former France to become the dominant power have made it almost impossible for Iran among political analysts, given the turmoil then tanyahu plans instead to meet with Pompeo in aides, could be called to testify. in Europe. The assumption is largely to benefit from new technologies in auto reasonable, provided one does not for- industry. Companies which had signed get that Germany, in a parallel action, or were about to sign partnership agree- UAE diplomat praises Syrian president’s ‘wise leadership’ benefits from the cooperation with France ments with local car companies left Iran to challenge U.S. supremacy and show of A United Arab Emirates diplomat has praised The UAE was a supporter of the Syrian op- minister Faisal Maqdad thanked the UAE for because of sanctions. power by the EU. Syrian President Bashar Assad’s “wise leader- position, which is now largely confined to the its support. Even if responsible bodies start to re- Britain, from innovation to ship,” describing relations between the two Arab northern Idlib province after losing its strong- “We cannot forget that the United Arab Emir- duce air pollution from today it will take treason countries as “solid and special.” holds elsewhere. ates stood by Syria in its war against terrorism,” many years to resolve it. Where did the idea of creating a European The comments by Charge d’affaires Ab- In December 2018, the UAE reopened its he said. Also, there is no single solution to mission in the Strait of Hormuz come from dul-Hakim Naimi came during a ceremony embassy in Damascus for the first time in sev- Earlier in the war UAE supported armed the issue. But one thing is certain: the and what countries were involved in it? late on Monday in Damascus to mark UAE’s en years, a reflection of improved relations groups opposed to Assad. But its role was less air pollution is taking toll on the citizens. What today is known as the French in- National Day. between Assad and some of his Arab foes as prominent than that of Saudi Arabia, and mainly Shina Ansari, chief of environment and itiative to secure the Persian Gulf was first Naimi said he hopes that “peace, security and the government gains more ground in the war- centered on ensuring that extremist forces did sustainable development at the Munici- proposed by Britain in response to the Iranian stability will prevail Syria under the shadow of torn country. not dominate the uprising. pality of Tehran, says air pollution costs seizure of the Stena Impero ship in July. the wise leadership” of Assad. At the ceremony, Syria’s deputy foreign (Source: NY Times) the capital up to $2.6 billion per year. This issue is related to the time before The Majlis Research Center has also the premiership of Boris Johnson, who cited the World Bank as saying that “the follows U.S. President Donald Trump in cost of air pollution in Tehran is $2.6 bil- his extremist policies. lion per year.” It says, “The estimate only At the time, Jeremy Hunt was serving as considers human health effects.” the British foreign secretary. Hunt preferred Alireza Raisi, the deputy health min- to offer a plan that did not directly involve the ister, told ISNA in an interview published EU, NATO and, above all, the United States, on Monday that density of air pollution 3080 candidates in the light of Britain’s ultimate intention to in certain regions in Tehran has reached realize Brexit.