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Foreign Minister Zarif, Georgian PM Meet in Tbilisi

In the Thursday meeting, Foreign Minister Zarif and the Georgian prime minister discussed topics pertaining to the relations between the two neighbours and the latest developments in the region following a recent flare-up of clashes in the Karabakh region.

Pointing to the economic and trade cooperation between Iran and Georgia, Foreign Minister Zarif said the two countries’ business sectors are willing to maintain and enhance trade cooperation and work on the joint production of goods.

He also cited a series of problems in the bilateral trade ties and the restrictions on the banking, transit and transportation activities, calling on the Georgian prime minister to address these problems.

Foreign Minister Zarif then expressed gratitude to the government of Georgia for releasing a number of the Iranian inmates in the past couple of months who will serve sentence at home, urging Tbilisi to work on the cases of the other prisoners.

He further touched on the latest conditions in the region after the Karabakh conflict and offered Iran’s evaluation of the circumstances with the purpose of establishing regional stability and calm.

In turn, Prime Minister Gakharia highlighted the significance of relations with Iran and the opportunities available in the economic and trade spheres.

The Georgian premier also pointed to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the trade interaction and the reasons behind a series of current problems, expressing readiness to address the restrictions.

Former Iranian Footballer Mehrdad Minavand Dies of COVID-19 at 45

Minavand’s body was laid to rest on Thursday at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in a small ceremony attended by members of the football community.

Former Iranian Footballer Mehrdad Minavand Dies of COVID-19 at 45Th former player of Austrian team Sturm Graz and the Belgian side R. Charleroi S.C. had been hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU) of the Laleh Hospital in Tehran last week.

Former Iranian Footballer Mehrdad Minavand Dies of COVID-19 at 45Minavand was part of Iran national football team in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup and 1998 FIFA World Cup.
He also played for Iranian club Persepolis in two stints.

Iran’s Top Lawmaker Checks Implementation of Parliament’s Law in Fordow Visit

During the Thursday visit, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf urged the United States to return to its obligations under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“We have no duty to fulfill our commitments when they don’t live up to their obligations,” he said.

“[We will comply with our commitments] whenever they make good on their obligations, i.e., remove all sanctions as well as banking, oil and trade restrictions,” said the top parliamentarian.

“We are determined to enforce the law [on countering sanction] in order to see all sanctions lifted,” he explained.

The parliament speaker then said the nuclear industry has been instrumental in tackling sanctions.

“The nuclear industry has taken a giant step toward neutralizing sanctions and we believe by taking similar action and adopting a united stance, we will be able to move forward on a path which would see people live with more comfort, security and welfare,” he said.

Iranian, Georgian Foreign Ministers Discuss Bilateral, Regional Issues

In the phone call on Thursday, the top Iranian diplomat and Foreign Minister of Georgia David Zalkaliani discussed the latest status of relations between Tehran and Tbilisi and the regional issues.

Zarif Arrives in Georgia after Trips to Baku, Moscow, Yerevan

Foreign Minister Zarif also wished his Georgian counterpart a full recovery from the coronavirus.

The two senior diplomats spoke by telephone because the Foreign Minister of Georgia has been kept in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

Foreign Minister Zarif is holding face-to-face meetings with the other Georgian officials during his stay in Tbilisi.

The Iranian Foreign Minister has arrived in Georgia in a tour of the Caucasus that took him earlier to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia.

Iran Inaugurates Three Agricultural Megaprojects

In a videoconference on Thursday morning, President Rouhani opened three major projects relating to agricultural drainage, watershed management, and protection of natural resources.

Under the new projects, irrigation and drainage programs have been carried out in 25,000 hectares of lands in west and northwest of Iran, while 78,000 hectares of farms in the northern province of Golestan have been equipped with drainage systems as part of a plan that will cover 280,000 hectares later.

Another megaproject includes 415 desert greening and dust control programs across 13 provinces under a national scheme for protection of natural resources.

The president also inaugurated 3,154 watershed management plans.

Implemented with a financing of 5,610 billion tomans, the projects would create sustainable employment for 105,771 people.

Zarif Arrives in Georgia after Trips to Baku, Moscow, Yerevan

Foreign Minister Zarif arrived in Tbilisi on Thursday morning in the fourth leg of a regional tour after visiting Baku, Moscow and Yerevan.

Speaking to reporters upon arrival in Georgia, the top Iranian diplomat said he has held talks about the bilateral relations and the regional cooperation during his stays in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia.

“Our region has undergone very tough conditions. Now we need to get past those difficult conditions and use the new circumstances for cooperation in the region to make sure that war and clashes would not break out again in our region,” Foreign Minister Zarif said.

The minister noted the he is going to meet Georgian authorities for talks about the relations between Tehran and Tbilisi and about regional cooperation.

“We have age-old bilateral ties with Georgia. There are numerous grounds for cooperation with Georgia, particularly in the transit sector,” he added.

“We are well aware of the sensitivities of our friends in Georgia to a number of the regional countries,” the top Iranian diplomat noted, saying Iran is trying to use a “regional framework for cooperation and reduction of tensions”.

“Considering the new international conditions, I hope we could remove the obstacles to mutual cooperation with Georgia and move towards closer cooperation,” he added.

Pointing to the “very positive cooperation” with Georgia in the transportation sector, Foreign Minister Zarif he has held talks with the Azeri and Armenian officials about the South-West Corridor, which leads to Georgia and connects to the Black Sea.

“This corridor is useful for Iran, Georgia, and other countries along the route,” Zarif noted.

Iranian, Georgian Foreign Ministers Discuss Bilateral, Regional Issues

Meeting with Georgian President

The top Iranian diplomat further had a meeting with President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili.

In the meeting, Foreign Minister Zarif expressed the hope “that under the new international circumstances, the relations between Iran and Georgia could further expand.”

“We have historical ties,” he told the Georgian president, saying Iran and Georgia can enhance their relations in future.

The top Iranian diplomat congratulated Georgia on holding successful parliamentary elections, highlighted the historical relations between the two countries, and conveyed an invitation from the Iranian president for Ms. Zourabichvili to make a state visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On the bilateral issues between Iran and Georgia, Foreign Minister Zarif expressed hope for the promotion of cooperation between the two neighbors in various fields of mutual interest, particularly the trade and economic interaction.

The Foreign Minister also pointed to a series of problems that the Iranian nationals residing in Georgia and the Iranian truck drivers are facing, calling on the government of Georgia to help settle those problems.

As regards the regional issues, Foreign Minister Zarif explicated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stance on using the opportunity in the wake of the recent clashes in the Karabakh region for the expansion of regional cooperation to the benefit of all parties, and informed the Georgian president of the talks he has held on the subject in the regional countries.

For her part, President Zourabichvili highlighted the historical ties between Georgia and Iran, pointed to the issues relating to the corridors connecting the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea, and emphasized the importance of economic cooperation between the two neighbors, joint investment, and cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The Georgian president also elaborated on her country’s views on the regional issues.

Iran Says to Help Restore Taq Kasra Only Upon Iraq’s Official Invitation

Taq Kasra is the remains of a Sassanid-era Persian monument, dating back to the 3rd-6th century. It is located near the modern town of Salman Pak in Iraq. It is the only visible remaining structure of the ancient city of Ctesiphon. The archway is considered a landmark in the history of architecture, and is the largest single-span vault of unreinforced brickwork in the world.

“If they want to have Taq Kasra definitely restored, they should prepare the ground and officially ask us to do so, so that an official memorandum of understanding would be signed immediately and researchers and restoration experts would get to the site to begin work; otherwise, the Iranian
Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts cannot do anything to restore and renovate the monument,” said the Iranian deputy minister of heritage, tourism and handicrafts.

Iran Says to Help Restore Taq Kasra Only Upon Iraq’s Official InvitationThis came after parts of the historical monument collapsed again, prompting both Iraqi authorities and other cultural heritage officials to warn against possible further damages to the ancient structure.

Over the past several years, Iraqi officials have called on Iranian cultural heritage authorities to help restore, renovate and save this historical monument.

However, Iran says it will send teams only when Iraq makes an official invitation.

Iran Says to Help Restore Taq Kasra Only Upon Iraq’s Official Invitation

Iranian People’s Resistance Led to US’ Submission: First VP

Jahangiri said Iranian people stood up to the economic war launched by Washington against the Islamic Republic.

“The experience of the tough period of the economic war showed resistance holds the key to success, and what forced the US into submission to the Iranian nation was the people’s resistance,” he said.

The vice president urged people to learn to have a common understanding of issues and threats facing the country.

“Today, we are facing different threats and opportunities in society, and we can work out a common solution only when we have a common understanding of threats and opportunities,” he added.

Jahangiri underlined that dialogue is a very important issue. “The skill of holding dialogue is very important and we should not talk to each other with the language of violence.”

The top official underscored that ill-wishers seek to put the brakes on Iran’s progress, adding efforts should be made to stop such efforts.

Iran to Raze Tel Aviv, Haifa to Ground If Israel Makes Mistake: Cmdr.

This picture, released by the Iranian Defence Ministry on Oct. 11, 2015, shows the launching of an Emad long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile in an undisclosed location.

Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces, was echoing comments made by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“As the Leader said in the past, if the Israeli regime makes the slightest mistake against the Establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we will not only strike the missile bases which they say have set up to attack Iran, but also raze Haifa and Tel Aviv to the ground in the shortest time possible,” he noted.

The top general dismissed as psychological warfare the recent threats by Israeli general Aviv Kochavi.

“They are not aware of the capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, capabilities which have not been revealed yet. Just part of them was displayed during the recent military exercises,” he noted.

“With those capabilities, Tel Aviv will be razed to the ground in no time as the Supreme Leader said,” the top general noted.

“If they make a mistake, they will see their collapse, and in fact, they will bring forward the time of their collapse,” he said.

“Today, the collapse of the Israeli regime is on the agenda. This regime must collapse and this cancerous tumour in the region must fall apart as it has brought a lot of losses upon the Muslim community,” he added.

Iran’s Zarif, Armenian PM Meet in Yerevan

In the meeting with the Armenian premier on Wednesday evening, Foreign Minister Zarif elaborated on the latest status of Iran-Armenia relations and the regional developments, particularly after the recent conflicts in the Karabakh region, and explicated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stances on the issue.

The top Iranian diplomat also pointed to the opportunities available in the bilateral and multilateral relations, cited the common concerns in the region, and reiterated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s call for a future full of cooperation and peace in the region.

Foreign Minister Zarif also explicated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stances that favor the observance of international law, protection of people, respect for the rights of minorities, preserving territorial integrity, and avoidance of resorting to force amid the Karabakh crisis.

Prime Minister Pashinyan, for his part, highlighted the commonalities between Armenia and Iran in various issues pertaining to peace, security and development, saying the relations between the two nations have been based upon friendship throughout centuries. 

The Armenian prime minister and the Iranian foreign minister also held extensive talks about cooperation between the two neighbours in various fields such as trade, electricity and gas industries, transit cooperation, road constructions, and railway industry.