Iran Economic News Headlines - March 12

1. President Hassan Rouhani: Iran is ready to increase energy exports to Iraq. (Fars News Agency)
2. First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri: US sanctions have failed to harm Iran's metal industries. (Fars News Agency)
3. Azerbaijan Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev: Azerbaijan's support for Iranian companies and its serious determination to develop cooperation with Iran may be unacceptable to some governments, but as an independent country, we are determined to develop relations with Iran. (Fars News Agency)
4. Tajikistan's Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda: Our leadership emphasizes the expansion of economic, commercial and investment cooperation with Iran. We demand an increase in the volume of trade exchanges, especially the strengthening of investments and presence of Iran in the agricultural, energy, industry and tourism sectors of Tajikistan. (Fars News Agency) 
5. Lithuania’s Honorary Consul in Iran Mohsen Karimi Tabbasi: Tehran and Vilnius enjoy broad opportunities and capacities to increase bilateral trade, especially in the area of pharmaceutical ingredients. (Fars News Agency)
6. Iran’s Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand: The One Belt-One Road initiative is not limited to road and transportation infrastructure; it’s rather a full package that serves as the beginning of long-term cooperation in all areas with China. (IRNA)
7. President of Iran’s Exports Federation Mohammad Lahouti: The government needs to revise its forex, import and export policies next [Iranian] year [starting March 21] and work out solutions to economic problems by increasing collaboration with the private sector. (IRNA)
8. Chairman of Majlis Economic Commission Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi: Iran Mercantile Exchange can turn into an international reference for the pricing of saffron. (IRNA)
9. Ali Seyyed Ahmad, Syrian charge d'affaires to Iran: Iran and Russia are Syria's first choices when it comes to the reconstruction of war-torn country. (IRNA)
10. Ahmad Khorram, former transportation minister: Two-thirds of engineers in Iran are either out of work, or working in unrelated fields. (ILNA)
11. Deputy Agriculture Minister Abdolmehdi Bakhshandeh: The ratification of FATF’s [Financial Action Task Force] action plan would facilitate the trade of agricultural products. (IRNA)
12. Mohammad Omid, an official with Presidential Office for Rural and Deprived Areas’ Development: Rural population accounts for 26% of Iran’s total population. (Mehr News Agency)
13. Mansour Yazdizadeh, managing director of Esfahan Steel Company: Disproportionate growth could spell trouble for Iran’s steel industry over years to come. (ILNA)
14. Abdolhashem Hassan-Nia, the head of Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization: The number of [road] trips is expected to rise by 10% during the [Iranian] New Year holidays [March 21-April 2]. (Mehr News Agency)
15. Seyyed Hossein Mirshafi, the deputy head of Transportation Infrastructures Company for construction and development: Freeway tolls will remain unchanged over the New Year holidays. (IRNA)