Iran and Turkey held a new round of political consultations on Tuesday in Ankara where they discussed major issues regarding bilateral ties, as well as current developments in the region and the world.
Iran and Turkey held a new round of political consultations on Tuesday in Ankara where they discussed major issues regarding bilateral ties, as well as current developments in the region and the world.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif stressed the need for regional dialogue and cooperation among Asian states to promote multilateralism, assuring that Iran would be a "steadfast partner" in the pursuit of this goal.
Zarif made the statement at the 16th ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry's website reported.
Asia Cooperation Dialogue is an inter-governmental organization created in 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at the continental level. It has 34 member states whose top ministers attend an annual meeting.
In his speech at the meeting, Zarif said Asia is undergoing crises due to the lack of regional dialogue and the unilateral policies of the US administration.
Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday reiterated his opposition to the spread of western influence in Iran's educational system and programs.
"The core of the 2030 [UNESCO] document—a significant part of which is related to education—is that the education system should be devised in a way that lessons on philosophy, lifestyle and the meaning of life are taught to children and adolescents based on western principles," the Leader was quoted as saying by his website.
He made the statements in a speech to a gathering of educators in Tehran ahead of National Teachers Day—which is celebrated on Thursday—in reference to an educational plan proposed by the United Nations.
Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has denied rumors that gasoline rationing would start from today (May 2).
“What is being floated around regarding gasoline rationing is a lie,” he said Wednesday on the sidelines of the 24th Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition underway in Tehran.
The minister did not elaborate on the highly sensitive issue of gasoline prices nor did he say when the rationing would commence.
President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday inaugurated water projects in western Kermanshah Province completed at a total cost of $285 million.
"The government has tapped into the National Development Fund of Iran to undertake the mega projects," Rouhani told the inauguration ceremony attended by his Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, Paven, the Energy Ministry news portal reported.
He said 37 dams have become operational during the past seven years and five will be completed soon.
Oil prices fell on Wednesday after a report showed a rise in US crude inventories, but global markets remained tense amid an intensifying political crisis in Venezuela, tightening US sanctions on Iran, and ongoing OPEC supply cuts.
OPEC oil supply hit a four-year low in April due to further involuntary declines in sanctions-hit Iran and Venezuela and output restraint by top exporter Saudi Arabia.
Gas units of the first phase of Khorramabad Combined Cycle Power Plant in Lorestan Province, have registered 70% progress and will come on stream in the fall, said the managing director of Saba Power and Energy Group, which has invested in the project.
The plant consists of two phases, each being a combined cycle block of two gas units and a steam unit with a total capacity of 484 megawatts, Iran Student Correspondents Association (ISCA News) reported Amir Anvari as saying.
Construction of the plant started in 2017 and the two gas units of phase one are expected to go on stream later in the year. The steam unit will be ready by 2021.
The retail price of onions in the month ending April 20 increased by 459.5% compared with the same period of last year.
A kilogram of onions was sold at 110,872 rials (77 cents) to register the highest year-on-year price rise for a food item during the month, the Statistical Center of Iran reported.
In the first Iranian month (March 21-April 20), prices of onions posted an increase of 143.3% compared with the previous month
In a bid to contain runaway prices of onion, the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade banned the export of onions as of April 4, in a directive sent to the Islamic Republic of Iran's Customs Administration.
Iran recorded a non-oil trade surplus of $8.75 billion with Persian Gulf littoral states, namely Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2019).
Latest data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration show Iran traded 42.55 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $22.05 billion with Persian Gulf states during the year to register a 1.37% and 8.26% decline in tonnage and value respectively compared with last year’s corresponding period.
Iran’s exports totaled 38.64 million tons worth $15.4 billion during the period under review, indicating a 0.07% and 0.11% increase in tonnage and value respectively year-on-year.
The value of trade in the Iran Energy Exchange (IRENEX) touched 171 trillion rials ($ 1.17 billion) in the last fiscal (ended March 20) – up 126% compared to the year before, the IRENEX boss said.
Ali Hosseini ascribed the growth to the depth in the spot market and role of the derivatives market in financing energy projects, Fars News Agency reported.
The value of trades at the physical market totaled 120 trillion rials ($ 824.7 million) in the last fiscal. Hydrocarbons had the lion’s share of the total trade in the previous fiscal, accounting for 99% of the market value and a disproportionate value of trade was registered in the name of the electricity sector in the spot market.
The CEO of a newly registered Iranian reciprocal company for trade with Europe says the company is ready to launch its first trade with Europe, according to a notice on the Central Bank of Iran website.
The company was officially registered in late April as a corresponding entity of European Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, known as INSTEX.
Aliasghar Noori said Wednesday that in coordination with Iranian and European banks the first financial transaction will be carried out through the newly created mechanism.
Noori said his company has held talks with Iranian banks and aims to meet Iranian importers and exporters to brief them about the functions of the new mechanism and the facilities it offers in trading with Europe.
With the stock market making new inroads, the main index of the Tehran Stock Exchange for the first time climbed above 220,000 points on Wednesday to close the trading week 1.6% higher.
According to Donyaye Bourse website, reports about rationing gasoline, launching short selling in the capital market and selling 70,000 barrels of heavy crude oil on the Iran Energy Exchange on Tuesday, are also responsible for the upbeat trend in recent days.
Fars News Agency reported Tuesday that the fuel rationing plan has been approved by the Supreme Council of Economic Coordination – a body comprising heads of three branches of government to address major economic issues. It claimed the rationing plan would start today (Thursday). The Oil Ministry on Wednesday afternoon denied the rationing dateline.
The general price index of construction materials for residential units in Tehran rose 59.7% during the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2019), compared with the preceding year's corresponding period.
According to the Statistical Center of Iran's latest report published on its website, the index stood at 356.4 in winter.
The figure indicates an increase of 7.7% compared with the previous quarter, which ended on Dec. 21 (autumn), when the index stood at 331.
During the 12 months ending Q4, the index grew by 47.8% year-on-year, while in the 12 months ending Q3, it had grown by 37.3%.
Car prices have been soaring on an hourly basis in Iran over the past few days.
Vexed by the raging prices, Iranian parliamentarians have censured local car companies and government officials.
Nader Qazipour, who represents Urmia’s electoral district in Majlis, told ICANA, “If car prices are not controlled, the parliament will impeach the industries minister.”
This is not the first time MPs are calling for the impeachment of Industries Minister Reza Rahmani. The government body is in charge of regulating the car market.
Amir Khojasteh, an MP from Hamedan, last week was quoted as saying by local media, “In a meeting with lawmakers last week, the industries minister promised to propose measures for curbing car prices. If he fails to deliver, he will be impeached.”
Passenger rail services between the capital cities of Iran and Turkey are set to resume in July, the CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways announced.
Saeid Rasouli made the announcement after a meeting with Turkish rail officials in Tehran on Sunday.
Tehran-Ankara passenger train services were suspended in 2015 following an explosion triggered by terrorists. None of the 180 passengers was injured in the incident, but a wagon was damaged.
The Turkish government blamed PKK insurgents for the attack.
In April, Tehran’s residents experienced some relief after air quality index (AQI) improved in comparison with the same month of last year, according to data from Tehran Air Quality Control Company.
Charts published on the TAQCC website, Airnow.tehran.ir, show that in April, air pollution declined in the capital.
Bright blue skies were observed for almost half of the month under review, as the air quality index was in “good” condition for 13 days.
The index classifies conditions according to a measure of polluting matters: good (0-50), moderate (51-100), unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150), unhealthy (151-200), very unhealthy (201-300) and hazardous (301-500).
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