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Tehran, Jan 9, - Iran's Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Nikzad said on Saturday that Iran and Syria must become a model in terms of economic cooperation in the region.
He made the remarks in the 8th follow-up committee on economic cooperation between Iran and Syria.
Close cooperation among countries in the region will lessen the influence of the US and foil the plots hatched by the Zionist regime, he said.
Tehran and Damascus should spare no efforts to bolster economic cooperation among Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey which will be vital for formation of a regional alliance, he said.
Volume of trade on engineering and technical services between Iran and Syria has hit dlrs 1.6 billion which is remarkable, he said.
Draft agreements prepared by Iran and Syria’s Expert committees are to be indorsed by the Iranian minister of housing and urbane development with the Syrian economy and commerce minister on Monday.
Source : IRNA
Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, December 25, 2009
Iran, Vietnam keen to increase bilateral trade exchanges
Tehran – Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari Wednesday evening in Hanoi called for facilitation of trade exchanges between Iran and Vietnam.
The Iranian minister said the two countries' private sectors can play key roles in expansion of bilateral trade cooperation between the two sides.
Voicing his country’s readiness to further promote economic and trade relations with Iran, the Vietnamese official called for making use of Iran as a transit route for export of Vietnamese goods to the regional markets.
Exchange of delegations to study marketing and investment potentials in both countries was also stressed by the two officials.
Source : IRNA
Bin Laden's daughter free to leave says Iran
TEHRAN: Osama bin Laden's daughter who has taken refuge at the Saudi mission in Tehran is free to leave Iran once her identity is confirmed, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as saying yesterday.
"A while ago the Saudi embassy here said one of bin Laden's daughters is in the compound, so the foreign ministry told the embassy that based on international conventions if her identity is confirmed she can leave Iran with passage documents," ISNA quoted Mottaki as telling state television.
"We were not able to confirm her identity but the embassy says she is" the daughter of bin Laden, he added.
A Saudi newspaper quoted Omar bin Laden, the fourth son of the Al Qaeda chief, that one of his siblings, Iman, 17, had recently sought asylum at the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
Fuad Qassas, the Saudi charge d'affaires at the kingdom's embassy in Tehran, confirmed Iman was staying there, according to the newspaper, which said she has been seeking permission to leave Iran, so far without success.
Omar also said that five other siblings plus one of his father's wives who had been missing since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan had been traced to Tehran, where they are living under house arrest.
Omar, who lives in Qatar, said he only learnt his family members were still alive after receiving a call last month from his brother Uthman, who had been secretly given access to a mobile phone by a young Iranian.
British newspaper The Times reported 11 of bin Laden's grandchildren were also living in the high-security compound outside Tehran.
The group fled Afghanistan just before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US and walked to the Iranian border, where they were detained and taken to the walled compound by guards.
His relatives are said to be living as normal a life as possible, cooking meals, watching television and reading, but they are allowed out on shopping trips only rarely.
The Times said Iman escaped from the compound during one such trip last month and fled to the Saudi embassy.
Source : Gulf Daily News
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Russia supplies non-military helicopters to Iran
Moscow, Dec 9, IRNA – Russian non-military helicopter manufacturere 'Verthalutirussia' signed an agreement with Iranian company 'Fanavaran Aseman Giti' on Tuesday to supply helicopters to Iran.
The Russian company intends to supply non-military and multi-purpose helicopters like " Mi-171", " K 226 T" and " K 62" to Iran.
The Russian private company said that Iran is a good market in the Middle East for helicopter technology.
Executive director of the company Andrea Eishinov expressed pleasure that Russian made helicopters are increasing in Iran.
He added that repair centers for Mi and K models are located in Iran's neighboring countries which is an advantage for Russian-made choppers in Iran.
Source : IRNA
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Int’l house appliances exhibit opens
Tehran, Dec 5, IRNA -- Ninth International Exhibition of House Appliances opened in Tehran on Saturday with the participation of more than 308 Iranian and foreign companies.
The number of countries taking part in the exhibit rose by 18 percent compared to the previous one.
Some 390 items of house appliances including various types of refrigerators, ovens, washing machines, chinaware and samovars are currently on display.
Secretary General of Association of the House Appliances Suppliers Ansari put the rate of export in the first six months of the current Iranian year (started March 21) at over $117 million, adding that it shows a 70-percent increase compared to the figure for the corresponding period last year.
According to him, more than 74 percent of house appliances needed in Iran are produced inside the country.
Iran currently exports chinaware, sewing machines, water heaters to the European, Asian and African countries, Ansari said.
Source : IRNA
Friday, December 4, 2009
Brazil foreign minister in Iran to follow up economic agreements
Isfahan, Dec 3, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Thursday that Iran and Brazil enjoy bright prospects for developing economic cooperation.
In a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Celso Amorim, on the sidelines of the third tour of the cabinet to Isfahan, he described President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to the Latin American country as the first by Iranian chief executive in the past 40 years.
He said that exploring capacities and resources of the two countries was one of the main achievements of the trip.
Mottaki said that Iran-Brazil Joint Economic Commission is expected to work more actively and that regular consultations would be useful for implementing the agreements signed by the two countries.
“There is no limitation for developing bilateral ties and the prospects are achievable,” Mottaki said.
Amorim said for his part that Iranian president’s visit was successful and called for developing ties in all fields.
Stating that significant agreements have been signed between the two countries during President Ahmadinejad’s visit to Brazil, he said, “I toured Iran in line with political will of the two states’ leaders to pursue the implementation of the deals.”
He called for organizing commercial and cultural exhibitions to identify the economic, commercial, industrial, cultural, artistic and scientific capacities of both countries.
Source : IRNA
In a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Celso Amorim, on the sidelines of the third tour of the cabinet to Isfahan, he described President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to the Latin American country as the first by Iranian chief executive in the past 40 years.
He said that exploring capacities and resources of the two countries was one of the main achievements of the trip.
Mottaki said that Iran-Brazil Joint Economic Commission is expected to work more actively and that regular consultations would be useful for implementing the agreements signed by the two countries.
“There is no limitation for developing bilateral ties and the prospects are achievable,” Mottaki said.
Amorim said for his part that Iranian president’s visit was successful and called for developing ties in all fields.
Stating that significant agreements have been signed between the two countries during President Ahmadinejad’s visit to Brazil, he said, “I toured Iran in line with political will of the two states’ leaders to pursue the implementation of the deals.”
He called for organizing commercial and cultural exhibitions to identify the economic, commercial, industrial, cultural, artistic and scientific capacities of both countries.
Source : IRNA
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Iran, Turkey to boost tourism cooperation
Ankara, Turkey, Dec 2, IRNA - Head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Hamid Baqaei said here on Wednesday that Iran’s free zones boast of higher potentials and capabilities which can be exploited by establishing airlinks.
In a meeting with Turkish Culture Minister Ertugral Gunay, he added that tourism, in fact, is a kind of economic transaction. Iran and Turkey should reach equilibrium in this respect.
Stating that more than one million Iranians visit Turkey each year, he noted the number of Turkish visitors to Iran is one third of that figure.
Now that the two countries are set to develop bilateral cultural ties, a balance in the number of the two countries’ tourists is of paramount significance, he underlined.
Given the fact that there is no problem in issuing visas for the two states, the balance will hopefully be achieved, Baqaei noted.
Iran has set up 1,000 exemplary tourist sites, he said, declaring the country’s readiness to absorb foreign investors and setting up a joint bank with Turkey.
The official further noted that Iran and Turkey enjoy proximity since the ancient times and hoped that cultural steps such as holding exhibitions will promote affinity between them.
Gunay, for his part, said that some seven million people travel to Turkey each year, one million of which are Iranians.
Referring to the similarities between the tourism sites of the two countries, he said that serious steps should be taken in line with enhancing interactions.
Paving the grounds for establishing airlinks from Iran’s tourist sites to Turkey will help boost two-way tourism ties, he said.
Source : IRNA
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Gambia, Iran’s good trade partner: Minister
Tehran, Dec 1, IRNA – The minister of cooperatives said Tuesday that the African country of Gambia is a good trade partner for Iran.
Mohammad Abbasi, head of the Iran-Gambia Joint Commission, made the remarks while talking to IRNA.
He said Gambia is a state playing an effective role in both international and African arenas.
Abbasi added the existing economic potentials in Banjul have led Tehran to plan joint ventures with the African state.
The cooperatives minister also said the two countries are capable of expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and fisheries.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Clinton clarifies Iran nuclear policy
by AFP
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday stirred Israeli fears that Washington would accept a nuclear armed Iran when she raised the idea of a US "defence umbrella" for Gulf allies.
However, Clinton, during a visit to Thailand for an Asian security conference, said later that she was not announcing a new policy and simply wanted to turn Iran away from pursuing a nuclear weapon.
Clinton told Thai television in Bangkok that President Barack Obama's administration was still open to engage Iran in talks about its nuclear programme but warned that Tehran would not be safer if it obtains a bomb.
"We will still hold the door open" to talks over its nuclear program Clinton said.
"But we also have made it clear that we will take action, as I've said time and time again, crippling action, working to upgrade the defence of our partners in the region," she said.
Her previous references to "crippling action" have referred to sanctions.
"We want Iran to calculate what I think is a fair assessment: that if the US extends a defence umbrella over the region, if we do even more to support the military capacity of those in the Gulf, it is unlikely Iran will be any stronger or safer," Clinton said.
"They won't be able to intimidate and dominate as they apparently believe they can once they have a nuclear weapon."
In Jerusalem, Israeli Intelligence Services Minister Dan Meridor criticised her remarks.
"I heard without enthusiasm the American declarations according to which the United States will defend their allies in the event that Iran uses nuclear weapons, as if they were already resigned to such a possibility," he said.
"This is a mistake," Meridor said. "We cannot act now by assuming that Iran will be able to arm itself with a nuclear weapon, but to prevent such a possibility."
Clinton made her initial comments during a recording for a Thai television show before heading to Asia's largest security forum in the Thai resort island of Phuket, where talks were expected to focus on possible nuclear links between North Korea and Myanmar.
Speaking at a press conference in Phuket later, Clinton suggested her remarks were misunderstood.
"I'm not suggesting a new policy. In fact we all believe that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, and I've said that many times," she said.
"I'm simply pointing out that Iran needs to understand that it's pursuit of nuclear weapons will not advance its security or achieve its goals of enhancing its power regionally and globally," she said.
"The focus that Iran must have is that it faces the prospect - if it pursues nuclear weapons - of sparking an arms race in the region," she said.
"That should affect a calculation of what Iran intends to do and what it believes is in its national security interest because it may render Iran less secure, not more secure," she said.
US lawmakers on Monday stepped up pressure on Obama to ready tough new economic sanctions on Iran in the event Tehran fails to freeze its uranium enrichment programme by late 2009.
Iran, labouring under UN sanctions for its defiance, has rejected the West's charges that it seeks nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy program.
Obama has said he wants a diplomatic solution to the standoff but has repeatedly warned that he has not ruled out the use of force.
Source : Arabian Business
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday stirred Israeli fears that Washington would accept a nuclear armed Iran when she raised the idea of a US "defence umbrella" for Gulf allies.
However, Clinton, during a visit to Thailand for an Asian security conference, said later that she was not announcing a new policy and simply wanted to turn Iran away from pursuing a nuclear weapon.
Clinton told Thai television in Bangkok that President Barack Obama's administration was still open to engage Iran in talks about its nuclear programme but warned that Tehran would not be safer if it obtains a bomb.
"We will still hold the door open" to talks over its nuclear program Clinton said.
"But we also have made it clear that we will take action, as I've said time and time again, crippling action, working to upgrade the defence of our partners in the region," she said.
Her previous references to "crippling action" have referred to sanctions.
"We want Iran to calculate what I think is a fair assessment: that if the US extends a defence umbrella over the region, if we do even more to support the military capacity of those in the Gulf, it is unlikely Iran will be any stronger or safer," Clinton said.
"They won't be able to intimidate and dominate as they apparently believe they can once they have a nuclear weapon."
In Jerusalem, Israeli Intelligence Services Minister Dan Meridor criticised her remarks.
"I heard without enthusiasm the American declarations according to which the United States will defend their allies in the event that Iran uses nuclear weapons, as if they were already resigned to such a possibility," he said.
"This is a mistake," Meridor said. "We cannot act now by assuming that Iran will be able to arm itself with a nuclear weapon, but to prevent such a possibility."
Clinton made her initial comments during a recording for a Thai television show before heading to Asia's largest security forum in the Thai resort island of Phuket, where talks were expected to focus on possible nuclear links between North Korea and Myanmar.
Speaking at a press conference in Phuket later, Clinton suggested her remarks were misunderstood.
"I'm not suggesting a new policy. In fact we all believe that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, and I've said that many times," she said.
"I'm simply pointing out that Iran needs to understand that it's pursuit of nuclear weapons will not advance its security or achieve its goals of enhancing its power regionally and globally," she said.
"The focus that Iran must have is that it faces the prospect - if it pursues nuclear weapons - of sparking an arms race in the region," she said.
"That should affect a calculation of what Iran intends to do and what it believes is in its national security interest because it may render Iran less secure, not more secure," she said.
US lawmakers on Monday stepped up pressure on Obama to ready tough new economic sanctions on Iran in the event Tehran fails to freeze its uranium enrichment programme by late 2009.
Iran, labouring under UN sanctions for its defiance, has rejected the West's charges that it seeks nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy program.
Obama has said he wants a diplomatic solution to the standoff but has repeatedly warned that he has not ruled out the use of force.
Source : Arabian Business
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Iran's presidential candidates
On Friday, June 12, Iran holds its tenth presidential election since the revolution that created the Islamic Republic.
| Following a vetting process by the Guardian Council - a powerful legislative oversight body consisting of six theologians appointed by the supreme leader and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament - four candidates have been deemed eligible to stand. To win the presidency, a candidate must receive more than 50 per cent of the total vote. Otherwise, the contest will go to a run-off vote usually held the following week. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the current president, is running against two reformist candidates and one fellow conservative. For the first time since the creation of the Islamic Republic in 1981, the race for the presidency is expected to be closely run, with Mir Hossein Mousavi, the frontrunner reformist candidate, gathering a groundswell of support.
The incumbent 52-year-old is seeking a second term as Iran's president.
He is generally viewed as religiously and politically conservative. His modest background is one factor behind his appeal with the masses, whom he has pledged to reward with fairer distribution of the country's vast oil wealth. Ahmadinejad has said he favours dialogue with the US, as long as it is based on mutual respect.
The leading candidate running against President Ahmadinjead is 67-year-old Mir Hossein Mousavi. He is best known as the country's last serving prime minister during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. During the war he pioneered the country's food rationing and distribution system.
Mousavi played a key role in the Islamic Revolution and had close ties with the late Ayatollah Khomeini. As part of his return to politics in this election, he has pledged to change Iran's image abroad. However, he believes Iran should refuse to back down on its nuclear programme and maintains the country's right to nuclear technology. In another of his campaign pledges, he has committed to reviewing discriminatory laws against women and stopping the operation of so-called morality policies.
The 72-year-old is a mid-ranking cleric. He is considered a reformist and heads Iran's National Trust Party, as well as having previously been parliamentary speaker.
His election campaign is based on the slogan "change", leading some to call Karroubi the "reform sheikh". He has pledged to nationalise the country's vast oil profits, and to redistribute the money to every Iranian over the age of 18 through a system of stocks. He has also pledged to protect civil rights and improve the status of women in Iran. The cleric also says he favours dialogue with the international community.
The 55-year-old is the current secretary of the Expediency Council, a major body that arbitrates on disputed legislation, and the only candidate running against Ahmadinejad who is also considered to be a conservative. Rezai is the former head of the Revolutionary Guards, one of the most powerful paramilitary organisations in Iran.
Rezai holds a doctorate in economics and says, if elected, his priority will be to "revolutionise" the economy. One of his main pledges is to greatly increase the role of the private sector and to guarantee an increase in foreign investment. Rezai has also been critical of Ahmadinejad's comments about the holocaust. He says he has formulated a step-by-step plan to improve relations with the US, and that he also believes Iran should improve its strategic role in the Middle East by closing ranks with its regional neighbours. | ||||||||||||
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
Iran, Turkey call for expansion of telecommunication cooperation
Ankara, June 4, IRNA - Iran’s Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Mohammad Soleimani conferred on Thursday with Turkish Minister of Industries and Commerce Nihat Ergün on expansion of mutual cooperation.
The Iranian minister heading a technical and specialized delegation arrived in Ankara Wednesday night.
At the meeting, the Iranian minister congratulated the Turkish minister on appointment to his new post and wished him success during his tenure.
Iran believes that ties and cooperation between the two countries should be further bolstered at mutual, regional and international levels, Soleimani said.
He hoped to witness further expansion of mutual relations and cooperation to a more desirable level.
Iran has made significant progress in the field of telecommunication and technological know-how and is to identify such potentials in both countries to allow their private sectors to play a more active role in this regard.
The Turkish minister, for his part, said a 35-member delegation arrived in Iran last week to review expansion of mutual cooperation in the field.
He expressed the hope that Iran would help remove existing obstacles and prepare the grounds for active presence of Turkish companies in Iran.
Current level of annual trade exchange between the two countries stands at dlrs 10 billion which is not satisfactory, he said.
The Iranian delegation is to attend the second meeting on Iran-Turkey telecommunication cooperation Thursday afternoon.
The Iranian minister heading a technical and specialized delegation arrived in Ankara Wednesday night.
At the meeting, the Iranian minister congratulated the Turkish minister on appointment to his new post and wished him success during his tenure.
Iran believes that ties and cooperation between the two countries should be further bolstered at mutual, regional and international levels, Soleimani said.
He hoped to witness further expansion of mutual relations and cooperation to a more desirable level.
Iran has made significant progress in the field of telecommunication and technological know-how and is to identify such potentials in both countries to allow their private sectors to play a more active role in this regard.
The Turkish minister, for his part, said a 35-member delegation arrived in Iran last week to review expansion of mutual cooperation in the field.
He expressed the hope that Iran would help remove existing obstacles and prepare the grounds for active presence of Turkish companies in Iran.
Current level of annual trade exchange between the two countries stands at dlrs 10 billion which is not satisfactory, he said.
The Iranian delegation is to attend the second meeting on Iran-Turkey telecommunication cooperation Thursday afternoon.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Iran says it welcomes nuclear talks with West
Iran welcomes nuclear talks with the United States and other countries, Tehran's top nuclear negotiator said Monday.
The negotiator, Saeed Jalili, made the comments during a telephone call with the European Union's foreign policy chief, state television reported. During the conversation, Jalili said the talks should be aimed at "constructive cooperation" between countries.
Last week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran was open to talks — but only if they were based on respect for Iran's rights, suggesting the West should not try to force Tehran to stop uranium enrichment. Jalili's comments appeared to be more of a definitive answer, but he stressed that Iran would issue an official response to the invitation soon, the TV reported. He did not elaborate.
The United States announced last week that it would join direct talks with Iran that Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia are seeking to convene. The talks aim to break a long deadlock over Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. and its allies fear aims to build atomic weapons. Iran denies the charge.
Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Iran would present a new proposal for negotiations, saying "conditions have changed" — an apparent reference to President Barack Obama's election and Iran's own progress in its nuclear program since previous talks with Iran were held last year. He didn't elaborate on the proposal.
Jalili also insisted in his conversation with Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, that the all parties involved in the talks should have the "right understanding of international developments and realities," the TV reported.
Ahmadinejad announced on Saturday that Iran now controls the entire cycle for producing nuclear fuel. The step was significant toward furthering Iran's nuclear energy capabilities and could be designed to strengthen Iran's position at a time when the Obama administration has said it would negotiate with the Iran over it nuclear program.
Source : The Independent
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Obama Administration Has First Face-to-Face Contact With Iran
By MARK LANDLER
THE HAGUE — It was brief, it was unscheduled and it was not substantive, but a meeting Tuesday between Richard C. Holbrooke, a presidential envoy, and an Iranian diplomat marked the first face-to-face encounter between the Obama administration and the government of Iran.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed that Mr. Holbrooke, the administration’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, greeted Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Mohammad Mehdi Akhondzadeh, on the sidelines of a major conference here devoted to Afghanistan.
“It was cordial, unplanned and they agreed to stay in touch,” Mrs. Clinton said to reporters at the end of the conference. “I myself did not have any direct contact with the Iranian delegation.”
Mrs. Clinton also said the United States handed the Iranian delegation a letter requesting its intercession in the cases of two American citizens who are being held in Iran and another who is missing.
These two American contacts with Iran are another step in the Obama administration’s policy of engagement. It is a tentative process, in which the White House makes symbolic gestures, like President Obama’s recent video greeting to the Iranian people and government for their New Year, while continuing to formulate its longer-term strategy.
Some officials, including Mrs. Clinton, are skeptical that Iran’s leaders will ever embrace the American overtures. But reaching out, analysts say, keeps Iran on the defensive by demonstrating to the Europeans, the Russians and others that the United States is sincerely trying. And talking about Afghanistan is easier than confronting more divisive issues, especially Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
For weeks, American officials regarded this conference as a good place to make a move. The delivery of the letter, along with Mr. Holbrooke’s greeting during a lunch break, suggested that the encounter was less than pure serendipity.
Mrs. Clinton also reacted warmly to remarks delivered by Mr. Akhondzadeh about what Iran would do to aid reconstruction in Afghanistan and to cooperate in regional efforts to crack down on the booming Afghan drug trade, which is spilling across the Iranian border.
“The fact that they came today, that they intervened today, is a promising sign that there will be future cooperation,” she said. “The Iranian representative set forth some very clear ideas that we will all be pursuing together.”
The rise of Afghanistan’s drug trade with Iran gives Tehran a natural role to play, Mrs. Clinton said. “The questions of border security, and in particular the transit of narcotics across the border from Afghanistan to Iran is a worry that the Iranians have, which we share,” she said.
Iran cooperated with the United States on Afghanistan in the days after the 2001 terrorist attacks, and administration officials still view it as one of the most promising avenues for a reconciliation. Mrs. Clinton had pushed for Iran to be included on the invitation list for the United Nations-sponsored conference.
The encounter also illustrated the forceful personality of Mr. Holbrooke, whose job title does not include Iran, but who has managed to put himself at the center of the administration’s foreign-policy initiatives.
Iran, which was a no-show at the last Afghanistan conference, in Paris, did not send an official of Mrs. Clinton’s level, unlike most participants. But by sending Mr. Akhondzadeh, a former ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, it was clearly not trying to avoid contact.
Still, the unsigned letter, which an American official handed directly to the Iranians, was a reminder that there were many thorny obstacles to better relations. The cases of the three Americans have dragged on for months, frustrating the families and the government.
“We ask Iran to use its facilities to determine the whereabouts and ensure the quick and safe return of Robert Levinson, and grant the release of Roxana Saberi, and permission to travel for Roxana Saberi and Esha Momeni,” Mrs. Clinton said, quoting from the letter. “These acts would certainly constitute a humanitarian gesture by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Mr. Levinson, a former F.B.I. agent, disappeared in March 2007. Ms. Saberi, a freelance journalist who has worked for National Public Radio, was arrested by Iranian authorities on Jan. 31.
Ms. Momeni, a graduate student at California State University, Northridge, was arrested last October, accused of a traffic violation. She was conducting research on the Iranian women’s movement.
At the conference, Iran offered support and criticism of the Obama administration’s new policy on Afghanistan. It praised the focus on regional cooperation, but it argued that sending more foreign troops to Afghanistan would be ineffective.
That came not long after Mrs. Clinton explained the Obama administration’s decision to deploy 17,000 additional soldiers, as well as 4,000 more military trainers, to buttress Afghan security forces.
Mrs. Clinton had a busy day of diplomacy, notably a meeting with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, at which the two discussed cooperation on a variety of issues.
For the most part, though, the focus was on Afghanistan — less as a military issue than as a development problem. Mrs. Clinton called for a new start in Afghanistan, emphasizing more effective development and better regional coordination.
“Our collective inability to implement a clear and sustained strategy has allowed violent extremists to regain a foothold in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and make the area a nerve center for efforts to spread violence from London to Mumbai,” Mrs. Clinton said.
Source : The New York Times
THE HAGUE — It was brief, it was unscheduled and it was not substantive, but a meeting Tuesday between Richard C. Holbrooke, a presidential envoy, and an Iranian diplomat marked the first face-to-face encounter between the Obama administration and the government of Iran.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed that Mr. Holbrooke, the administration’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, greeted Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Mohammad Mehdi Akhondzadeh, on the sidelines of a major conference here devoted to Afghanistan.
“It was cordial, unplanned and they agreed to stay in touch,” Mrs. Clinton said to reporters at the end of the conference. “I myself did not have any direct contact with the Iranian delegation.”
Mrs. Clinton also said the United States handed the Iranian delegation a letter requesting its intercession in the cases of two American citizens who are being held in Iran and another who is missing.
These two American contacts with Iran are another step in the Obama administration’s policy of engagement. It is a tentative process, in which the White House makes symbolic gestures, like President Obama’s recent video greeting to the Iranian people and government for their New Year, while continuing to formulate its longer-term strategy.
Some officials, including Mrs. Clinton, are skeptical that Iran’s leaders will ever embrace the American overtures. But reaching out, analysts say, keeps Iran on the defensive by demonstrating to the Europeans, the Russians and others that the United States is sincerely trying. And talking about Afghanistan is easier than confronting more divisive issues, especially Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
For weeks, American officials regarded this conference as a good place to make a move. The delivery of the letter, along with Mr. Holbrooke’s greeting during a lunch break, suggested that the encounter was less than pure serendipity.
Mrs. Clinton also reacted warmly to remarks delivered by Mr. Akhondzadeh about what Iran would do to aid reconstruction in Afghanistan and to cooperate in regional efforts to crack down on the booming Afghan drug trade, which is spilling across the Iranian border.
“The fact that they came today, that they intervened today, is a promising sign that there will be future cooperation,” she said. “The Iranian representative set forth some very clear ideas that we will all be pursuing together.”
The rise of Afghanistan’s drug trade with Iran gives Tehran a natural role to play, Mrs. Clinton said. “The questions of border security, and in particular the transit of narcotics across the border from Afghanistan to Iran is a worry that the Iranians have, which we share,” she said.
Iran cooperated with the United States on Afghanistan in the days after the 2001 terrorist attacks, and administration officials still view it as one of the most promising avenues for a reconciliation. Mrs. Clinton had pushed for Iran to be included on the invitation list for the United Nations-sponsored conference.
The encounter also illustrated the forceful personality of Mr. Holbrooke, whose job title does not include Iran, but who has managed to put himself at the center of the administration’s foreign-policy initiatives.
Iran, which was a no-show at the last Afghanistan conference, in Paris, did not send an official of Mrs. Clinton’s level, unlike most participants. But by sending Mr. Akhondzadeh, a former ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, it was clearly not trying to avoid contact.
Still, the unsigned letter, which an American official handed directly to the Iranians, was a reminder that there were many thorny obstacles to better relations. The cases of the three Americans have dragged on for months, frustrating the families and the government.
“We ask Iran to use its facilities to determine the whereabouts and ensure the quick and safe return of Robert Levinson, and grant the release of Roxana Saberi, and permission to travel for Roxana Saberi and Esha Momeni,” Mrs. Clinton said, quoting from the letter. “These acts would certainly constitute a humanitarian gesture by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Mr. Levinson, a former F.B.I. agent, disappeared in March 2007. Ms. Saberi, a freelance journalist who has worked for National Public Radio, was arrested by Iranian authorities on Jan. 31.
Ms. Momeni, a graduate student at California State University, Northridge, was arrested last October, accused of a traffic violation. She was conducting research on the Iranian women’s movement.
At the conference, Iran offered support and criticism of the Obama administration’s new policy on Afghanistan. It praised the focus on regional cooperation, but it argued that sending more foreign troops to Afghanistan would be ineffective.
That came not long after Mrs. Clinton explained the Obama administration’s decision to deploy 17,000 additional soldiers, as well as 4,000 more military trainers, to buttress Afghan security forces.
Mrs. Clinton had a busy day of diplomacy, notably a meeting with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, at which the two discussed cooperation on a variety of issues.
For the most part, though, the focus was on Afghanistan — less as a military issue than as a development problem. Mrs. Clinton called for a new start in Afghanistan, emphasizing more effective development and better regional coordination.
“Our collective inability to implement a clear and sustained strategy has allowed violent extremists to regain a foothold in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and make the area a nerve center for efforts to spread violence from London to Mumbai,” Mrs. Clinton said.
Source : The New York Times
Friday, March 6, 2009
Serbia, Iran to sign free trade agreement
BELGRADE, Serbia—Serbia says it plans to sign a free trade agreement with Iran to boost economic cooperation.
A statement by Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic says Serbia's exports to Iran have grown in the past few years. Dinkic says relations with Iran are "good and stable."
The statement was issued Friday after a meeting between Dinkic and an Iranian delegation led by the Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
Mottaki will also meet with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic. Serbian media have reported that Iran is interested in buying a fertilizer factory outside Belgrade.
The Serbian government statement quoted Mottaki as inviting Serbian companies to take part in infrastructure projects in Iran.
Source : Boston.com
A statement by Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic says Serbia's exports to Iran have grown in the past few years. Dinkic says relations with Iran are "good and stable."
The statement was issued Friday after a meeting between Dinkic and an Iranian delegation led by the Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
Mottaki will also meet with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic. Serbian media have reported that Iran is interested in buying a fertilizer factory outside Belgrade.
The Serbian government statement quoted Mottaki as inviting Serbian companies to take part in infrastructure projects in Iran.
Source : Boston.com
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Iran angered over films 'The Wrestler' and '300'
By Nasser Karimi, Associated Press Writer
TEHRAN, Iran — An adviser to Iran's president on Sunday demanded an apology from a team of visiting Hollywood actors and movie industry officials, including Annette Bening, saying films such as 300 and The Wrestler were "insulting" to Iranians.
Without an apology, members of Iran's film industry should refuse to meet with representatives from the nine-member team, said Javad Shamaqdari, the art and cinema adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"In my viewpoint, it is a failure to have an official meeting with one who is insulting," Shamaqdari told The Associated Press.
The film 300 portrays the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., in which a force of 300 Spartans held off a massive Persian army at a mountain pass in Greece for three days. It angered many Iranians for the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks.
Iranians also criticized The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke as a rundown professional wrestler who is preparing for a rematch with his old nemesis, "The Ayatollah." During a fight scene, "The Ayatollah" tries to choke Rourke with an Iranian flag before Rourke pulls the flagpole away, breaks it and throws it into the cheering crowd.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Barack Obama | Iraq | Hollywood | Iran | Tehran | Greece | Spartans | Sciences | Greeks | President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | Sean Penn | Islamic Revolution | Academy of Motion Picture Arts | Universal Pictures | Mickey Rourke | Shiite Iran | Annette Bening | Persians | Alfre Woodard | Sid Ganis | Thermopylae | Ayatollah
Neither movie was shown in Iran.
While American actors such as Sean Penn have traveled to Iran, it is rare for such a large group to visit. In February, Iran denied visas to a U.S. women's badminton team that had been invited to compete in a tournament in Iran.
The group includes the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sid Ganis; actors Bening, and Alfre Woodard; producer William Horberg; AMPAS Special Events Programmer and Exhibitions Curator Ellen Harrington; and Tom Pollock, the former Universal Pictures chairman.
According to the website of Iran's Cinema Association, the group arrived Friday in Iran. They met a group of Iranian artists on Saturday, and will be holding educational seminars in directing, screenwriting, acting, producing, marketing and film distribution.
Shamaqdari says Iranians will warmly host the visiting Americans "but it will not stop Iranians from demanding an apology."
The visits come as President Barack Obama has indicated a new willingness to open up relations with Iran.
Relations between the two countries have been strained over concerns in the West that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapons program, something Tehran denies. The U.S. has also alleged that overwhelmingly Shiite Iran supports Shiite militias in Iraq, which Iran says is not true.
The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the hostage-taking at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
TEHRAN, Iran — An adviser to Iran's president on Sunday demanded an apology from a team of visiting Hollywood actors and movie industry officials, including Annette Bening, saying films such as 300 and The Wrestler were "insulting" to Iranians.
Without an apology, members of Iran's film industry should refuse to meet with representatives from the nine-member team, said Javad Shamaqdari, the art and cinema adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"In my viewpoint, it is a failure to have an official meeting with one who is insulting," Shamaqdari told The Associated Press.
The film 300 portrays the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., in which a force of 300 Spartans held off a massive Persian army at a mountain pass in Greece for three days. It angered many Iranians for the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks.
Iranians also criticized The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke as a rundown professional wrestler who is preparing for a rematch with his old nemesis, "The Ayatollah." During a fight scene, "The Ayatollah" tries to choke Rourke with an Iranian flag before Rourke pulls the flagpole away, breaks it and throws it into the cheering crowd.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Barack Obama | Iraq | Hollywood | Iran | Tehran | Greece | Spartans | Sciences | Greeks | President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | Sean Penn | Islamic Revolution | Academy of Motion Picture Arts | Universal Pictures | Mickey Rourke | Shiite Iran | Annette Bening | Persians | Alfre Woodard | Sid Ganis | Thermopylae | Ayatollah
Neither movie was shown in Iran.
While American actors such as Sean Penn have traveled to Iran, it is rare for such a large group to visit. In February, Iran denied visas to a U.S. women's badminton team that had been invited to compete in a tournament in Iran.
The group includes the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sid Ganis; actors Bening, and Alfre Woodard; producer William Horberg; AMPAS Special Events Programmer and Exhibitions Curator Ellen Harrington; and Tom Pollock, the former Universal Pictures chairman.
According to the website of Iran's Cinema Association, the group arrived Friday in Iran. They met a group of Iranian artists on Saturday, and will be holding educational seminars in directing, screenwriting, acting, producing, marketing and film distribution.
Shamaqdari says Iranians will warmly host the visiting Americans "but it will not stop Iranians from demanding an apology."
The visits come as President Barack Obama has indicated a new willingness to open up relations with Iran.
Relations between the two countries have been strained over concerns in the West that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapons program, something Tehran denies. The U.S. has also alleged that overwhelmingly Shiite Iran supports Shiite militias in Iraq, which Iran says is not true.
The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the hostage-taking at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Ahmadinejad: Iran wants to help Iraq
TEHRAN,Iran (AP) — Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his country wants to use its experience to help neighboring Iraq make progress.
Ahmadinejad's comments, which were reported by the presidential news website, came during a Friday meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
The two countries have had close relations after the 2003 overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who fought an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s. The war left some one million casualties on both sides.
The United States has repeatedly accused overwhelmingly-Shiite Iran of using its influence in the majority-Shiite Iraq to fight U.S-led forces. Iran has denied the charge, saying the U.S occupation has caused security concerns there.
Ahmadinejad's comments, which were reported by the presidential news website, came during a Friday meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
The two countries have had close relations after the 2003 overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who fought an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s. The war left some one million casualties on both sides.
The United States has repeatedly accused overwhelmingly-Shiite Iran of using its influence in the majority-Shiite Iraq to fight U.S-led forces. Iran has denied the charge, saying the U.S occupation has caused security concerns there.
Monday, February 23, 2009
GCC warns Iran against making hostile remarks
By Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News
RIYADH: The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) yesterday called on Iran to refrain from hostile remarks against its Arab neighbors, while also proposing a joint fund for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
The recent provocative statement from a prominent Iranian conservative and high-level adviser, Ali Akber Nateq Nouri, who called Bahrain Iran’s 14th province, and the situation in war-ravaged Gaza Strip, especially in the light of the election victory of right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu, were the focus of discussions among GCC foreign and finance ministers who met here yesterday.
“Statements made from time to time by Iranian officials infringe on the sovereignty and independence of the Gulf states, especially Bahrain, and represent a flagrant aggression on the Arab identity of Bahrain,” said the GCC statement.
“The GCC is looking forward to the Iranian government to condemn and prevent the repetition of such odd voices, which increase tension and do not help to restore security and stability in the region,” the statement added.
Iran moved late last week to defuse the row, saying it respects the sovereignty of Bahrain. Bahrain has halted negotiations with Iran over a major gas import deal following Nateq Nouri’s comments. The deal, however, has not officially been canceled.
The GCC ministers also discussed the efforts required to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip and also ways to promote the Middle East peace process after Netanyahu forms Israel’s next government.
The ministers called on all Arab states to come together to help the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip — a densely populated urban area of 1.5 million people — rebuild after the recent Israeli offensive. Officials said $1.25 billion has been pledged by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “The membership of this common program for the reconstruction of Gaza shall be open to all Arab countries and operated by a panel of the member nations,” it said.
The program, which seeks to mobilize efforts and generate funds for the reconstruction of Palestine, will be operated in cooperation with the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank.
“The goal is for the program to be implemented fast and minutely planned and also for it to respond to the needs of our Palestinian brethren in Gaza as soon as possible,” Oman’s minister in charge of foreign affairs, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, told reporters.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Iran says it respects sovereignty of Bahrain
TEHRAN: Iran yesterday moved to defuse a row with Bahrain, saying it respects the sovereignty of the neighboring Gulf kingdom, which has halted talks on a natural gas imports deal with Tehran.
“Our position on Bahrain is clear. We have repeatedly said that we respect the sovereignty and independence of all neighboring countries and the region, especially Bahrain,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told Arabic language state television Al-Alam.
Bahrain has strongly protested recent comments of Ali Akber Nateq Noori, a prominent conservative leader and member of Iran’s expediency council — the top arbitration body — that the Gulf kingdom used to be Iran’s 14th governorate and had a representative in its Parliament.
“We do not have eyes on any country. This is a storm created by the media. Nateq Noori did not refer to Bahrain,” Ghashghavi said in his statement to Al-Alam. “In his speech in Mashhad he talked about the achievement of the Islamic revolution and compared them to the era of the hated monarchy. He did not talk at all of current global, regional and political issues.”
On Feb. 11, a day after Nateq Noori’s speech, Iran’s Khorasan newspaper quoted him as saying in his address that “under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, this useless king, one of our provinces which has now become a country named Bahrain was taken away from us.
“At that time Bahrain was our 14th province and had a representative in Parliament.”
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said the Iranian remark was an “infringement of sovereignty” and a “distortion of historical fact.” He spoke to reporters in Manama following meetings yesterday with visiting foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia.
“We will never accept distortion of historical facts about the history of the Kingdom of Bahrain,” Sheikh Khalid said. “We are hurt by ... Iranian statements,” he added. “These remarks must be silenced.”
The minister confirmed yesterday that negotiations over a gas import deal following the signing of an agreement during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit in 2007 have stopped.
Russia and Turkey came out in support of Bahrain. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan both expressed their countries’ support for Manama in separate press conferences with Sheikh Khalid.
“It’s important to accept the international legitimacy and sovereignty of all countries and refrain from questioning and harming them,” Lavrov said when asked about his country’s stance on Iran’s recent claims.
An hour earlier, Babacan said Turkey fully supports Bahrain and would not accept any questioning of its sovereignty. “The sovereignty of Bahrain and its safety is not something to be questioned. It’s sovereignty must be respected,” he said.
Source : Arab News
“Our position on Bahrain is clear. We have repeatedly said that we respect the sovereignty and independence of all neighboring countries and the region, especially Bahrain,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told Arabic language state television Al-Alam.
Bahrain has strongly protested recent comments of Ali Akber Nateq Noori, a prominent conservative leader and member of Iran’s expediency council — the top arbitration body — that the Gulf kingdom used to be Iran’s 14th governorate and had a representative in its Parliament.
“We do not have eyes on any country. This is a storm created by the media. Nateq Noori did not refer to Bahrain,” Ghashghavi said in his statement to Al-Alam. “In his speech in Mashhad he talked about the achievement of the Islamic revolution and compared them to the era of the hated monarchy. He did not talk at all of current global, regional and political issues.”
On Feb. 11, a day after Nateq Noori’s speech, Iran’s Khorasan newspaper quoted him as saying in his address that “under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, this useless king, one of our provinces which has now become a country named Bahrain was taken away from us.
“At that time Bahrain was our 14th province and had a representative in Parliament.”
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said the Iranian remark was an “infringement of sovereignty” and a “distortion of historical fact.” He spoke to reporters in Manama following meetings yesterday with visiting foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia.
“We will never accept distortion of historical facts about the history of the Kingdom of Bahrain,” Sheikh Khalid said. “We are hurt by ... Iranian statements,” he added. “These remarks must be silenced.”
The minister confirmed yesterday that negotiations over a gas import deal following the signing of an agreement during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit in 2007 have stopped.
Russia and Turkey came out in support of Bahrain. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan both expressed their countries’ support for Manama in separate press conferences with Sheikh Khalid.
“It’s important to accept the international legitimacy and sovereignty of all countries and refrain from questioning and harming them,” Lavrov said when asked about his country’s stance on Iran’s recent claims.
An hour earlier, Babacan said Turkey fully supports Bahrain and would not accept any questioning of its sovereignty. “The sovereignty of Bahrain and its safety is not something to be questioned. It’s sovereignty must be respected,” he said.
Source : Arab News
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Ahmadinejad: Iran waiting for changes in US policy
Associated Press
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran is waiting to see "real changes" in U.S. foreign policy.
Speaking in an interview aired on state television Tuesday night, Ahmadinejad warned that ties between Tehran and Washington won't improve if fundamental changes do not occur in U.S. policies.
The comments Tuesday echo similar statements made recently by Ahmadinejad.
Last week, he said Iran is ready for talks with the U.S. - but only if there is mutual respect.
Officials have said that means the U.S. has to stop accusing Iran of supporting terrorism and seeking to build nuclear weapons.
President Barack Obama has pledged to rethink Washington's relationship with Tehran.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Minister: Iran, Russia to boost military cooperation
TEHRAN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said that Iran and Russia are to boost military cooperation, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Sunday.
"Tehran and Moscow are to review ways to enhance military cooperation during an upcoming visit to Russia by Iranian defense minister," Fars said.
Najjar is scheduled to travel to Moscow on Monday to discuss military and technical cooperation and review implementation of agreements inked by the two countries, according to Iran's defense ministry.
He is also slated to pay a visit to Russian defense industries.
In December, Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Organization for Military and Technical Cooperation Alexander Foumin said that his country intended to expand joint cooperation with Iran, which would have a positive impact on stability in the Middle East region.
Such a cooperation has raised concerns about the rising military capabilities of Iran, as the Western observers has elaborated.
However, earlier this month, Iranian ambassador to Russia Seyed Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi played down such concerns.
"Probably, there will be some changes, but generally the scale of this cooperation is not that large as (the media) allege," Sajjadi told a news conference in Moscow, adding that "We think that Iran-Russia military-technical cooperation is slightly exaggerated."
Source : Chinaview.cn
"Tehran and Moscow are to review ways to enhance military cooperation during an upcoming visit to Russia by Iranian defense minister," Fars said.
Najjar is scheduled to travel to Moscow on Monday to discuss military and technical cooperation and review implementation of agreements inked by the two countries, according to Iran's defense ministry.
He is also slated to pay a visit to Russian defense industries.
In December, Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Organization for Military and Technical Cooperation Alexander Foumin said that his country intended to expand joint cooperation with Iran, which would have a positive impact on stability in the Middle East region.
Such a cooperation has raised concerns about the rising military capabilities of Iran, as the Western observers has elaborated.
However, earlier this month, Iranian ambassador to Russia Seyed Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi played down such concerns.
"Probably, there will be some changes, but generally the scale of this cooperation is not that large as (the media) allege," Sajjadi told a news conference in Moscow, adding that "We think that Iran-Russia military-technical cooperation is slightly exaggerated."
Source : Chinaview.cn
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