WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13282 Wednesday DECEMBER 19, 2018 Azar 28, 1397 Rabi’ Al thani 11, 1440 Saudi coalition First waterjet Iranian duo Institutions sell against Yemen had engine to be unveiled nominated for best Iranian films illicitly to ‘unwarranted illusion’ 2 in three months 2 footballer in Asia 15 YouTube: producer 16 Spy services of neighbors have targeted Iranian security: Alavi POLITICS TEHRAN — Iranian spy forces of the Zionist regime have deskIntelligence Minister fully embarked on taking actions and Mahmoud Alavi said on Tuesday that spy organize terrorist teams in coordination services of certain neighboring countries with the criminal U.S. and anti-rev- along with extra-regional countries are olutionary movements,” he told the taking actions against security of Iran and parliament. provide “logistical support” for terrorist The intelligence chief said these coun- groups. tries are training terrorist groups and “We are in a situation in which the providing money to them. 2 Tehran hosting high-level meeting on disaster information management SOCIETY TEHRAN — A (APDIM) has organized the 2-day event. deskhigh-level expert con- APDIM is mandated to work with ESCAP sultation meeting on disaster informa- members and associate members and other tion management kicked off in Tehran relevant stakeholders to reduce the risks, on Tuesday, Mehr news agency reported. damage and losses resulting from disasters As a regional institution of the United by developing human and institutional ca- Nations Economic and Social Commission pacities of countries and organizations of the for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asian region in disaster information management and Pacific Centre for the Development and strengthening regional cooperation in of Disaster Information Management this field. 12 Iran, Russia, Yemen’s Hudaydah calm as rival parties begin to observe truce Fighting has subsided in Yemen’s Hu- Yemen since March 2015. daydah, hours after a United Nations The ceasefire took force at midnight Turkey agree on Syria (UN)-brokered ceasefire between warring on Monday. And while sporadic clashes sides took effect in the flashpoint port city. and Saudi-led airstrikes continued to hit The truce was reached last week in Hudaydah for several hours after midnight, Sweden during peace talks between they subsequently died down. See page 2 delegations from Yemen’s Ansarullah On Tuesday, a military source loyal Fabrice Coffrini constitutional body (Houthi) movement and the former, to Yemen’s former Saudi-backed regime Saudi-allied regime, on whose behalf said that the situation was calm in the AFP/ a Saudi-led coalition has been pounding Red Sea port city. 13 ARTICLE Pakistan senator: We should not look to the West REPORT Hanif Ghaffari ways to strengthen economic ties between Iran Maryam Khormaei Political analyst EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW By M.A.Saki and Pakistan as two important neighbors with Mehr News Agency large populations. journalist TEHRAN — Asif Saeed Kirmani, a Pakistani Following is the text of the conference: senator, believes that Pakistan, Iran, Afghani- The volume of trade ties between Iran French protests stan and Turkey should not look to the West for and Pakistan as two great neighbors, Pakistan economic progress, saying these countries are with 200 million population and Iran with British strategy in spread to Spain the gateway to Asia and enjoy good economic more than 80 million population, is too low. relationship with China as the second biggest Why is it so? the Indo-Pacific he recent anti-government demon- economy in the world. A: This is very unfortunate that trade between strations which took place in 200 “We don’t have to look to the West,” Senator Pakistan and Iran is not as good as it should be. region: Conquest of cities in Spain, has hit hard on Prime T Kirmani told the Tehran Times on the sidelines In the meeting we had with honorable President Minister Pedro Sanchez. The massive the world from the of an anti-terrorism conference, which brought Kirmani, who was part of the parliamentary of Iran and honorable speaker of the Iranian demonstrations took place while Spain, parliament speakers of Afghanistan, China, Iran, team accompanying his country’s National As- parliament this subject came under discussion traditionally, and due to its vulnerability deck of a ship Pakistan, Russia and Turkey together in Tehran sembly speaker to Tehran, also suggested the and both sides agreed that they must put some to the economic crisis, has the potential on December 8. formation of a “special working group” to find extra efforts to boost bilateral trade. 13 of becoming one of the main centers of he scope of British interaction the crisis in the United Europe and the with the Southeast Asian region Eurozone. Textends from security-military This was proven during protests Iranian missiles: Hypocrisy and paradox to economic-educational, and as that took place after the economic cri- By Peter Jenkins enemy of Iran—especially under the leadership of foreign minister has been equally eager to single predicted, this gets more intense sis, and from 2007 to 2010 in Europe. It is hard to know why Britain’s Foreign Secre- Benjamin Netanyahu—is located well beyond the out Iranian missile-related activity for condem- post-Brexit, with the Five Power Subsequently, Spanish citizens pur- tary, Jeremy Hunt, claimed, in a statement on range of Iranian short-range missiles. Is Iran not nation. Yet such one-sidedness runs counter to Defense Arrangements (FPDA) sued their economic demands in the December 5, that Iran’s testing of a medium-range justified in acquiring missiles capable of reaching Europe’s “soft power” need to appear just and treaty, Asia’s only collective secu- elections, or in public polls. However, missile on December 1 demonstrated that Iran’s Israel in order to create the “balance of terror” even-handed when addressing a global audience. rity arrangement. the equation seems to be different this missile-related activities “go beyond what can on which mutual deterrence rests? Given Europe’s wish to preserve the 2015 nuclear British presence in the southeastern time! It seems that the rise of the “yellow be justified for national defence”. Another feature of Mr. Hunt’s statement was deal with Iran, such British and French diplomacy Asia security treaty, the adherence to vests” in Paris and other French cities The claim suggests the existence of some kind the omission of any mention of Saudi Arabia and is also unwise: applying double standards can the deployment and maintenance of has also affected the Spanish internal of agreed international norm that can be used to Israel. If one is concerned for regional stability in affect how Iran sees that deal. some British military in the region and social equations. assess whether or not a weapon system is justified the Missile East, one should not single out Iran’s Paradox to participate in joint exercises with Accordingly, Daily Sabah reported as a defensive tool. But no such norm exists. And medium-range missiles as uniquely destabilising, In reality Iran’s missile-related activity may not the parties to the treaty, the periodic that the month-long French “yellow vest” we can imagine how the British government would as Mr. Hunt did. Saudi medium-range missiles be as destabilising as the UK and France believe. presence of British naval forces in the demonstrations, which have led to repeated react if some UN member were to opine that and Israeli possession not only of such missiles It is possible that over the next decade Iran’s region, and the fact that the military rioting in Paris, have inspired protesters British possession of a nuclear deterrent goes but also of nuclear and chemical weapons deserve missiles will gain in accuracy and reliability, and chiefs of Singapore, Malaysia, Thai- worldwide. Over the weekend, yellow vest beyond what is “justified for national defence”. places in the picture. They too have a bearing that the explosive force of their conventional land and Brunei have all studied in protests spread to Canada and Spain, and Hypocrisy on stability. payloads will increase. This is a trend that has the UK show the depth of London’s protesters wearing yellow vests took the The claim also seems unreasonable. Israel, a Regrettably, it is not only the United King- been apparent in the United States and Russia, relationship with the countries of streets in various cities across the two possessor of medium-range missiles and an open dom that applies such double standards. France’s for instance. 13 Southeast Asia. countries on Saturday. Britain’s assistance in combating The report continues; “In Spain, pro- terrorism and cyber-attacks, the fact testers, inspired by the rallies that have that Singapore alone has 5,000 British been taking place in France, marched Giant puppets companies in the country, the London in Madrid during a demonstration by multi-million dollar pledge to create yellow vest movement calling for bet- economic reforms in Thailand, the ter pensions on Saturday. On Friday, celebrate Intl. Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indo- several hundred yellow vest protesters nesia and Myanmar, Britain’s invest- demonstrated on the streets of Israel’s Storytelling ment In the area of energy security in commercial hub Tel Aviv against the the region, and finally investment in high cost of living, mirroring the yellow Festival in the education sector in the countries vest movement. Videos on social media of Southeast Asia, are signs of Britain’s showed people in fluorescent-yellow position in this part of the world. safety vests holding Israeli flags, meg- Tehran With the withdrawal from the Eu- aphones and signs on a central street ropean Union, London has a dream Giant puppets perform during a parade far greater than simple alliance with in the coastal city.” organized in downtown Tehran on Decem- As mentioned, people took to the streets the countries of Southeast Asia, and ber 17, 2018 to celebrate the opening of the is independently seeking a strategy to in two hundred cities in Spain, protesting 21st International Storytelling Festival.