In an address to a technology meeting between Iranian and Turkish high-tech companies, held in Istanbul on Wednesday, Iran’s Ambassador to Ankara Mohammad Farazmand lauded Iran-Turkey Joint Commission on economic cooperation as one of the most active of its kind in the region and even in the world.
The most recent meeting of Iran-Turkey Joint Commission, held in Ankara in September 2019, has opened the door to mutual cooperation in a new field, which is the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, the envoy added.
Farazmand also noted that during the next session of the Joint Commission, due to take place in Tehran, a new committee on scientific and technological cooperation will be added to the commission.
Pointing to the fruitful meetings that Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari has held in Ankara on Tuesday, the ambassador said the Iranian and Turkish authorities have expressed their determination to meet the $30-billion annual trade target, although the export of Iranian oil to Turkey was excluded from the bilateral trade in 2019.
The Turkish officials, most notably President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have repeatedly made it clear that Turkey is not involved in the “cruel and illegal” sanctions that the US has imposed on Iran and that Ankara is losing benefits because of the US sanctions, Farazmand added.
“We are delighted to have very friendly relations with a neighbor that supports the interests of itself, the regional countries and the friendly and Muslim countries at such level,” the ambassador noted, saying Iran and Turkey share interests in many organizations and multilateral conferences, such as the Islamic Conference.
“Today, we are witnessing the formation and launch of cooperation that, God willing, could not be obstructed by the enemies, because science and technology is not something that would be easily restricted,” the Iranian ambassador stated.
Chairman of the International Interaction Centre of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology Mahdi Qalenoei
In a separate speech to the gathering, Chairman of the International Interaction Centre of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology Mahdi Qalenoei expressed gratitude to the Iranian Embassy in Ankara and the country’s Consulate in Istanbul for helping to hold the business meeting between the Iranian and Turkish high-tech companies, and lauded the Iranian knowledge-based companies for taking part in the event.
He said the participants in the meeting include representatives of 23 companies engaged in the electronics and Information Technology (IT), 15 firms from the health sector, 12 enterprises producing machinery and equipment, and 10 companies working on advanced materials.
Qalenoei also noted that a new sector has been created in the course of interaction between the two countries, namely the financial funds tasked with facilitating the business cooperation between the companies of Iran and Turkey.
“Moreover, three representatives of the financial funds are also present (at the event). We have around 1,200 knowledge-based companies in the health sector, 15 of which are representing the others, and have come here. Our companies attending the meeting are engaged in the fields of medical equipment, stem cells technology, nanotechnology, and herbal medicine,” he added.
Qalenoei further proposed the idea of holding expert B2B meetings between the Iranian and Turkish companies, saying the businesses in the health sector can visit Iran and attend an expert forum.
There are approximately 900 knowledge-based enterprises working on the electronics and communication in Iran, he noted, saying they are represented by 23 companies in the ongoing event in Istanbul which cover a range of activities such as the software and hardware industries, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), media sector, remote sensing, and telecommunication hardware.
The official also noted that Iran has some 1,500 knowledge-based companies in the field of industrial and laboratory equipment and 300 companies working on advanced materials.
A number of the leading Iranian companies present at the event are engaged in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, manufacturing polymers, nanofibres, and resin, and developing technologies for melting and casting, he noted, saying Turkey could take the opportunity to collaborate with the Iranian companies in the petrochemical industry and polymers.
Qalenoei further said that three financial funds have taken part in the event, the largest of which is the Innovation and Development Fund of Iran. He expressed hope that those funds could finance the production activities of the Iranian companies, facilitate their trade interaction, and promote their cooperation with the other knowledge-based companies.
He also pledged that the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology will also provide support for the knowledge-based companies and enable them to face the risks associated with the trade processes.
The presidential official finally expressed Tehran’s readiness to host Turkish delegations in the expert meetings and the various exhibitions due to be held in Iran in the comings months.
The business meeting of Iranian and Turkish high-tech companies was held on Wednesday in Istanbul. The event was organized by Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, and funded by Iran’s National Innovation Fund.
13 days after the tragedy, which left all the 176 people onboard dead, Shargh newspaper has reported the eyewitnesses’ accounts, shedding new light on the moment of the incident.
Mehdi is a young man whose barber’s shop is right in front of the plane crash site and the hole created by the crash is less than 20 metres away from his shop.
“Early in the morning I was taking a stroll with my dogs when I noticed the plane. I started running after it to figure out what it was at all, as it was catching fire. At first I didn’t realize it was a plane.
I guess the pilot intentionally led the flight down towards the park, because if the plane had hit the ground before that, lots of houses and people would have been destroyed. But I saw it made a jolt, soared a little bit, and passed the square, while flames were falling off the plane. The plane was exactly coming from Shahriar towards our town, and it crashed into the park. What I saw was that the plane was crashing one-winged. One of the wings had come off before. Later, I heard from a friend of mine that the wing had fallen off near Parand Town. And when it hit the ground, first I heard a crash and then felt a tremor. Thereupon, there was a big explosion and it was luminous and red everywhere.”
Asked whether he heard a missile hitting the plane or anything like a shot, he said, “The only sound was something like a “whooof”, like a gust of wind.
But there were some white-coloured stuff beside the plane, which I don’t know what they were.”
Here, Shakour, a teenage boy whose house is the nearest to the plane crash site, chimed in: “One of the neighbours found a burnt bag with US dollars in it. One of the children found a little box containing gold. Children turned them all over to the officials.”
He and his friends say that from that day up until now the images of the bodies do not go away from their minds and that they do not sleep without nightmares.
“The plane passed right over our house and crashed into the park. I was awakened by the crash, the building’s shaking and the windows’ cracks. And a few moments later there was a great explosion. It was really frightening. At first, I said wow, the war has broken out and Saba Battery [Company] was just hit, as it is nearby.”
“It was dark; but suddenly it was light everywhere, not like daylight though; it was luminous with red, red flames. It was really strange. The plane crashed at 06:20 and we all were there at 6:25 having pajamas on! The entire neighbourhood was on the scene. We thought we might save some people’s lives. But everyone was dead. There were dead bodies, and blood all over the ground, and the smell of smoke and dead bodies burning in the air.
As it lightened, we came to realize what had happened. We realized that we had been walking over the bloods and people’s entrails.”
“What that situation and the dead bodies did to me was that I have a nightmare every night. I cannot sleep in my own room for the fear of terrible nightmares. I go to the hall so that I might go to sleep. The scenes come before my eyes, as soon as I close my eyes.”
A lady whose shop is close to the plane crash site tells Shargh about the morning: “We ran out into the alley. The plane crash site was visible from inside the alley. My son was standing next to me.
All of a sudden some tiny, tiny stuff resembling sand was falling from the skies. I don’t know what they were. I just put my hands over my son’s head so that they would not fall onto his head. Then I ran towards the park, as everybody was going in that direction. From the very beginning, I noticed a few pieces of human body and blood. I feared and returned. And from that day up until now I have not gone that way. My daughter has not eaten meat for several days. She tells me not to put meat in our food, as she feels sick and cannot eat.”
A young woman from the town says: “Into our and other neighbours’ yards and onto the rooftops had fallen pieces of cloth and other stuff. The day after that day, my mother washed the yard, the walls and the rooftop. Many did so. It felt bad that those pieces of cloth and other stuff probably belonged to the poor passengers, and that they had been blown into pieces and scattered everywhere.”
Another witness says: “I was asleep when all of a sudden my room’s flowerpots fell off the windowsill. First I didn’t get it. I thought it was certainly an earthquake. But then, following the neighbours’ outcries I too moved off to the park into which the plane had crashed. Somewhere at the beginning of the park, I noticed a piece of head, ear and hairs of people. It was so visible. And there was no blood around it. It was really scary. At that point my legs faltered, and I returned. I have not gone to sleep for several days. I feel really bad, and I don’t know what to do. I think many feel bad nowadays.”
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In comments on the sidelines of a technology meeting between Iranian and Turkish high-tech companies, held in Istanbul, Sattari expressed delight at the trip to Turkey following the “good news” of Iran’s agreements with foreign companies after a fruitful visit to China.
The vice president said he has been accompanied by the representatives of 80 Iranian companies in the trip to Istanbul, saying the necessary arrangements have been made beforehand to enable the Iranian enterprises to find and hold meetings with their Turkish peers.
He also noted that every Iranian company in the ongoing trip to Istanbul has been holding face to face and B2B meetings with three or four Turkish companies.
“Good agreements are being made,” Sattari added, noting that Iran is determined to boost the export of technologies.
The Iranian technologies are indigenized and are perfectly appropriate for the people of the region and the neighbouring countries, the vice president explained, saying Iran has now the largest companies across the region in the sphere of technology.
A large number of Iranian enterprises are engaged in new technologies such as the biotechnology, nanotechnology, information and communications technology (ICT), aerospace technology, medical sector, stem cells, as well as the medical and laboratory equipment, he added.
Sattari also hailed the new generation of entrepreneurs promoting the knowledge-based economic strategies as the “new ambassadors” of Iran, saying the country needs to boost the export of technologies.
The Iranian vice president also said he has held perfect meetings with the Turkish officials on Tuesday, including Turkey’s vice president, minister of Industry and Technology, and head of Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK).
“All of them (Turkish authorities) emphasized their willingness to expand relations with Iran,” Sattari added.
He finally expressed hope that the economic relations between Tehran and Ankara would grow like their close political ties and that the two neighbours could stand against the foreign sanctions.
The business meeting of Iranian and Turkish high-tech companies was held on Wednesday in Istanbul. The event was organized by Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, and funded by Iran’s National Innovation Fund.
The event features winter story-telling competitions in Korsi-Khaneh, which are rooms facing winter sunshine, with a Korsi, a traditional item of furniture in Persian culture, a type of low-table with a heater underneath it, and blankets thrown over it.
Giant dolls in the streets, cooking a whole variety of soups and broths, skiing, launching squash carnivals (cars adorned with squash) and cooking and serving squash in Hamadan are also included in the event.
The launch of the airline route seems to be an effort to normalize tourist flights to Iran after the unintentional downing by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps of the Ukrainian Flight 752 on 8 January.
Officials at Iran’s Fars province have also said that all tours of Shiraz and Persepolis have been cancelled over the recent developments, and the country’s tourism is expected to get in trouble in coming months.
In remarks on Wednesday, the Iranian Parliament speaker said the Europeans’ behavior towards Iran’s nuclear program is inspired by the US policies.
He also noted that the three European parties’ decision to resort to the dispute mechanism, set out in Article 36 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signifies their intentions, adding, “However, Iran will respond to them.”
The Parliament speaker also noted that the European conducts resemble the American policies and indicate that they are in the US’ camp.
“However, it is natural that political skirmish will have consequences for both sides,” Larijani added.
The three European countries have triggered a dispute mechanism under the nuclear agreement, which could lead to the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions against Iran lifted under the JCPOA.
In a tweet on January 15, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at the three European parties for failing to live up to their commitments under the JCPOA and for “selling their integrity” for fear of US’ bullying tactics.
Speaking at a weekly cabinet session in Tehran on Wednesday, President Rouhani said the administration is going to open a major innovation centre on development of artificial intelligence.
The new complex will be entitled “Centre 176” in remembrance of the 176 passengers who died in the January 8 crash of Ukrainian jetliner near Tehran, the president added.
He also paid tribute to the victims of the plane crash, particularly the Iranian people engaged in the academic, scientific and research activities.
The president further assured the families of both Iranian and foreign victims that the Islamic Republic will do its utmost and utilize all tools available to investigate into the accident, stressing that Tehran will honor all of the legal commitments with regard to the tragic incident.
President Rouhani then pointed to a rise in Iran’s national income thanks to the export of non-oil goods, saying a sum of $20 billion in non-oil exports have been funneled to the Central Bank of Iran.
“Without exports, we cannot have scientific competition and progress, and scientific and technological progress comes with competition and presence in the world markets,” the president added.
On the 2015 nuclear deal and the decision from the UK, France and Germany to trigger the dispute resolution mechanism in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, President Rouhani stated, “We have not withdrawn from the JCPOA and do not seek to scrap it. We are committed to it and have reduced our commitments in accordance with the JCPOA.”
He also made it clear for the three European parties to the JCPOA that Iran will fully honor the deal as soon as the EU3 states fulfill their commitments completely.
“I remind the three European countries that if you commit a violation and breach commitments, you will be responsible for the whole consequences,” he warned the UK, France and Germany.
The president then reiterated that Iran will be never after nuclear weapons, even in the absence of the JCPOA and the Safeguards Agreement and regardless of Tehran’s relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“I hope Europe would honour its pledge and commitments, in which case we will fulfill our commitments as well,” President Rouhani emphasized.
The meeting, organized by the Science and Technology Department of the Iranian president’s office and funded by Iran’s National Innovation Fund, was also attended by Sorena Sattari, the Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology.
The Iranian and Turkish businesspeople used the gathering, held at the conference hall of Elite World Istanbul Hotel from 10 am to 2 pm, to introduce their products and services and discuss possible investment and knowledge transfer.
Addressing the event, Sattari referred to “a great many of historical and cultural commonalities between Iran and Turkey”, and said the membership of both countries in regional treaties, and the meetings held annually or several times a year between President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey show the high level of the two countries’ political ties.
He went on to say that “according to our regional agreements with Turkey the level of our economic relations is supposed to rise to $30 billion a year, leaving a lot to be desired.”
He pointed to the delegation of Iranian companies attending the event, and said, “Sadly, because of the existing problems we could not have more than 80 companies in the meeting while more than 200 companies were interested.”
“Extraordinary events have taken place in the area of development of science and technology in Iran. Now we have a huge number of start-ups and knowledge-based companies, which is unique in the region, especially in the areas of ICT, biotechnology, nanotechnology, stem cells, medical equipment, and so on,” he added.
Sattari pointed out that “years of sanctions have made Iran expand its local technologies and we are producing 98% of our medicines by the means of our own technology. Now our companies seriously need to export, and in our view Turkey is the gate for the exports.”
Expressing gratitude for Turkey’s “amazing welcome”, “hospitality” and “excellent coordination with Iranian delegations”, he said I’m glad that each Iranian company has been able to find 3 Turkish counterparts. I hope that good things will happen in the meetings between the two parties and that we will see good contracts signed.”
Stressing the necessity of enhancing economic interactions with Turkey, Sattari said our duty as a governmental body is building bridges to facilitate communication so that university professors, students, technological companies, inventive companies, and science and technology parks, can find each other.
“We have set up investment funds and our export sale offices have also been activated and I recommend Iranian companies utilize the offices so that they can find their counterparts in Turkey and forge ties,” Sattari said.
The Iranian delegation arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday, and will continue its negotiations with the Turkish side until Thursday.
The trip is aimed at enhancing economic interaction between the private sectors of the two countries in the area of high technologies.
The activities of the Iranian knowledge-based companies visiting Turkey are mainly focused on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Information Technology (IT), electronics, health (including stem cell, herbal medicine, etc.), advanced materials, engineering services, and machinery and equipment.
Also accompanying the delegation are representatives of Iran National Innovation Fund, a fund that offers facilities for research and innovation, and has so far provided services for over 2,300 Iranian knowledge-based companies.
“Sorry to say I told you so: When E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid Trump tariffs last week, I warned that it would only whet his appetite. After selling their integrity and losing any moral/legal ground, ANOTHER tariff threat. EU would do better to exert its sovereignty,” Zarif tweeted on Wednesday.
The tweet came after Trump said Tuesday that he is not bluffing about the possibility of slapping tariffs on European cars just days after reaching an initial trade deal with China.
“They know that I’m going to put tariffs on them if they don’t make a deal that’s a fair deal,” the US president told The Wall Street Journal about ongoing trade negotiations with the European Union. Trump’s threat to put tariffs on a key European export — and once again ratchet up trade tensions with the economic bloc — has sparked backlash from European officials and companies. The White House has repeatedly delayed a decision on whether to put tariffs on cars from Europe. Trump did not reveal a deadline for his tariff decision.
A week before Germany, France and Britain formally accused Iran of breaching the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Trump administration issued a private threat to the Europeans. If they refused to call out Tehran and initiate an arcane dispute mechanism in the deal, the United States would impose a 25 percent tariff on European automobiles, the Trump officials warned, according to unnamed European officials.
