Investors from 11 States to Attend Technology Investment Meeting in Iran
The meeting, to be held under the auspices of the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, will bring investors from 11 countries together in Tehran on February 4-5 as part of a plan to boost the export of Iranian knowledge-based and technological products.
The foreign participants in the TIM 2020, categorized as “angel investors” and “venture capital funds”, will be evaluating the plans and projects based upon the Iranian technologies for possible investment.
The unique opportunities available in Iran, such as the abundant and cost-effective manpower and the economical knowledge-based products, have encouraged the foreign investors to consider the Iranian knowledge-based ecosystem despite the unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The upcoming meeting will also allow the participants to know about the investment opportunities in the other countries.
The participants in TIM 2020 are going to study the proposals and opportunities for investment in a range of spheres, such as financial technology (fintech), health, tourism, computer games, food industry etc.
The meeting will also include expert panel discussions and workshops, and will present international investment opportunities.
The applicants can visit TIM.d8tten.org for more information.
In comments about the upcoming event, director of the National Tech Market Network of the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has highlighted the role of venture management in the assessment of the export markets in the other countries, saying, “Every single export opportunity must be considered and scrutinized, and the Iranian expatriates should be asked for help with the export of knowledge-based ideas.”
“The tech market facilities are not confined to the knowledge-based companies, and all technological units not categorized as knowledge-based companies can use those facilities as well,” the director added.
Malaysia Welcomes Iran President’s ‘Islamic Cryptocurrency’ Proposal
“We are hearing this for the first time — that Iran and Turkey are of the opinion that we should use an alternative to the US dollar,” the prime minister said.
“We can use our own currencies or have a common currency,” he said.
“It looks like sometimes when we use the US dollar, there are sanctions that can curb economic development,” he added.
Mahathir made the remarks speaking to reporters after a round-table discussion involving him, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyib Erdogan, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and participants from other Muslim countries at the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019 in the Malaysian capital on Thursday.
The prime minister said that he had also proposed an alternative to the US dollar for trade since a long time ago and that efforts were taken in that direction but that it had been stifled due the reaction of world powers.
“Their reaction was to stop us from using any other currency because using a country’s currency gives power to that country,” he added.
The US has imposed sanctions on Iran to force it into negotiating new limits on its nuclear and ballistic-missile programs.
Earlier, Rouhani had proposed the use of cryptocurrency among Muslim nations as an alternative to the US dollar.
His proposal for an alternative currency is not the first as, in 2002, Malaysia had pressed for the use of the gold dinar for trade among Muslim nations.
Iranian, Indian Top Diplomats Meet in Tehran
During the Sunday meeting, the two sides conferred on the latest developments in bilateral ties as well as the most pressing regional and international issues.
The Indian foreign minister is in Tehran to attend a meeting of Iran-India Joint Economic Commission.
Following the meeting, Zarif tweeted that it was “a pleasure to co-chair 19th Joint Commission Meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar in Tehran.”
“Excellent discussions on closer bilateral relations and regional and global issues affecting our respective countries. Our ties are ancient, historic and unbreakable,” he added.
Iran-Russia-China Naval Drill: Another Piece of Geopolitical Puzzle
Iran, Russia and China are expected to hold a joint naval exercise in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean on December 27 this year, which is of its first kind since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. The timing, in addition to the nature of the manoeuvre is of paramount significance for Iran, and probably for Russia and China as well.
As tensions rose in the region as a result of attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities last summer, the United States tried to put the blame on Iran in order to isolate the country in the region and to exert “maximum pressure” against Tehran. Washington attempted to take advantage of the opportunity so as to create a naval coalition against Iran in the region.
Having denied any role in the attacks, Iranian officials made an effort to nix the American strategy by taking some initiatives. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, during his United Nations General Assembly address in September, unveiled his Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE) for ensuring the security and the stability in the region through cooperation between Iran, Iraq and six countries in Persian Gulf, as well as in coordination with the United Nations. A short time later, Iran brought up the idea of a joint naval exercise with Russia in the region. Weeks later, China also expressed that it was ready to join the drill.
This joint naval exercise with Russia and China is an important step for Iran. Tehran wants to make a case for what it terms “resistance” to US pressure, saying that the American strategy, despite being an economic burden on Iran, has failed to isolate Tehran in politics and security.
Russia sees this cooperation as being in line with the concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf that it proposed to the UN in July. Although the concept includes other regional and international players, this can contribute to the idea if joined by others.
China, as the world’s largest oil importer, relies on Persian Gulf suppliers for a great amount of its energy needs. So the country would be vulnerable to any volatility in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. As a result, Beijing would do anything short of direct confrontation with the US to diminish the likelihood of any military conflict between Iranians and Americans in the region. In so doing, if Iran seems less isolated, the chance of a war with Iran in Persian Gulf would also seem less likely.
While the naval exercise may benefit Iran in the regional balance against some Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, it seems that it might not share this motivation with Russia and China in conducting the drill. Due to the economic interests they share with the Arab countries, Moscow and Beijing are likely to assure Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations in the region that the drill is not aimed at working with Iran against them.
However, there is a point where all three countries – Iran, Russia and China – see eye to eye in holding the manoeuvre, and that is sending a message to their common adversary or rival, namely the United States. The US, in some ways, has applied a triple containment policy toward China, Russia and Iran. This would be enough to unite these three countries on some fronts against a common foe. Beijing, Moscow and Tehran are more than willing to undermine American hegemony in the region, hindering its presence and influence. For Iran, evading a likely isolation, and for China and Russia, a stronger presence in the region so as to benefit more, will be sufficient for them to bring a counterbalance against the US in the region. The Astana process on Syria has given Iran and Russia the confidence that they need that they can meet targets independent of the US.
All in all, Iran believes that the US intention to create a naval coalition is more aimed at securitizing the region than bringing security to it. Proposing the HOPE initiative, as well as conducting joint war games with the other countries, are a piece of a puzzle where Iran, along with friend and allies, may want to be guardian and guarantor of security and stability in the region, even if the US is not a company. The fate of such an action can depend upon the presence of new members and the durability of the current members in doing so.
‘US Sanctions to Hurt Even More If Iran Fails to Adopt FATF’
The remarks were made by Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei in a Saturday piece he published on the Iranian government’s official website.
At the beginning of the piece, he refers to US ambassador to UN Kelly Craft’s short conversation with the Iranian delegation on Thursday, during which she expressed condolences over the death of an Iranian EB child who succumbed to her wounds due to the US sanctions that deprived her of proper dressings and bandages.
The rare meeting came after Iranian envoy to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi in a speech condemned the US cruel sanctions against Iranians especially those who have targeted the patients including the EB children.
“On Thursday evening, the story of the two-year-old Iranian girl’s death was narrated to UN Security Council members. Ava, who was suffering from EB, was a butterfly child from the southern city of Ahvaz. EB patients are called butterfly patients because their skin is as fragile as butterflies. These patients’ wounds must be covered with special bandages to prevent infection,” Rabiei wrote.
“Such a narrative led the US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft to express condolences. A picture of the death of the Ahvazi girl Ava was given to the United Nations, indicating that this is the result of US sanctions.”
“This is the language one should speak to the public opinion of the world with. It is the body language. The body language of a child with EB disease whose skin is so sensitive that it cannot be dressed without the help of special bandages,” Rabiei added.
“Even Human Rights Watch reporter wrote that the ‘excessive adherence’ of banks and pharmaceutical companies to anti-Iran sanctions poses complex obstacles to the financial transactions to buy these drugs,” he added.
“Earlier, BBC showed in a report based on its research and correspondence with a number of major European banks that a new type of ‘Iranophobia’ called ‘financial and banking Iranophobia’ has emerged.”
The Iranian spokesman further complained about the steadfastness of some Iranian authorities who do not let the FATF bills – proposed by the government to take Iran out of the FATF – be approved and Iran join the anti-money laundering body.
“Alongside the silent war that the US is waging against Iranians and pursuing an agenda to pave the ground for the so-called anger and conflict inside the country, there are some people inside Iran, who rather than participating in the programs to stand against sanctions, are fueling the silent war in the name of combating the US,” wrote Rabiei.
“The country’s failure to join the anti-money laundering and FATF conventions will intensify the sanctions regime. That is to say, if we do not choose an anti-sanctions strategy, we will go into a situation where every Iranian could be subject to an inappropriate label, not just by the sanctions, but also by the FATF and anti-money laundering claims, which are also supported by the United Nations.”
Rabiei said, “Ava has been deprived of special wound dressings because the ‘money laundering’ and ‘terrorism’ tags are circulated to put more pressure on each Iranian citizen. The world banks assume they are trading with a terrorist in their most ordinary humanitarian deals with Iranians. Lack of a strategy to foil sanctions is kind of inattention to this procedure and the suffering of citizens.”
“When a group of economists and diplomats including Ali Tayyebnia, Karbassian, Seif, Hemmati, Zarif, Zangeneh, and Dejpasand say not joining the FATF will bring new wounds to Iran, it is our ethical and national duty to avoid labeling ourselves and to remove unnecessary labels from Iran,” he concluded.
Iranian Biological Fertiliser Saves Cocoa Farms in Africa
Iran’s Nitro Kara Biological Fertiliser has attracted the attention of farmers as a way of treating the deadly disease of cocoa fields in Ivory Coast.
The swollen shoot virus has been widespread in Ivory Coast and Ghanaian farms for the past two years, and the disease is a serious problem for trees, according to governments and international organisations involved in the cocoa market.
And for this reason, unhealthy trees are cut down to plant new trees. Ivory Coast and Ghana produce the bulk of the world’s cocoa, and massive deforestation in both countries could affect the global cocoa market.
Meanwhile, some cocoa growers in Ivory Coast, who have been using the Iranian biological fertiliser for several years, say their farms are still productive.
The virus whitens the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree and leads to the tree’s complete death within three to five years.
It has been suggested that the only solution for nearly half of Ivory Coast’s farms, which supply a significant portion of the world’s cocoa, is to cut the trees.
Siamak Alizadeh, CEO of the company says he has managed to get orders for more than 60,000 packages of this fertiliser from Ivory Coast.
There are many knowledge-based companies that have been able to open new export horizons to Iranian technology products, relying on Iranian knowledge and attractive competitive prices.
Latest Football Scores of Matches from All Around the World
Do you want to take full advantage of modern technology? Then, follow the results of matches using the latest football scores, and you will receive an excellent opportunity to keep abreast of the latest events from around the world.
This season, the intense struggle to get into the zone of the Champions League is unfolding in the English Premier League. One of the main contenders for winning the coveted opportunity is Arsenal London. Last summer, the Gunners changed the head coach; Unai Emery took the lead and quickly enough managed to teach the team a bright and attacking style of football.
All this had a positive effect on the results of the club, who within the fall did not lose more than 20 matches in all tournaments. However, after that the team from the British capital suffered a decline in the game. It was kicked out of the FA Cup, plus Manchester United and Chelsea are their serious competitor in the fight for the top-4. You can watch the latest football scores of their matches, as well as their rivals’, on the site of sports statistics.
Arsenal score in convenient format
Despite all the difficulties, the Gunners have good chances to return to the Champions League after a short break. The team’s trump cards include:
- Well set gaming process. This is, first of all, Emery’s merit, who quickly managed to find a common language with all the players. Together with him, almost everyone gets time for enough practice.
- Individual skills of players. Here we should mention Aubameyang, one of the best scorers in the English Premier League.
- Lack of psychological pressure on the team.
The last seasons with Wenger were characterized by huge problems within the team, which was reflected at the Arsenal score.
However, if the team really expects to complete the task, then they need to give their all in every match. The Gunners will have a very tight schedule, and it will be extremely difficult to constantly score points.
Now, it becomes noticeable that the game of Emery’s team depends on the mood. If the athletes are in the mood, then they are capable of beating almost any opponent, but if things do not go right, then it is likely that the Gunners will lose even to the outsiders.
Follow Arsenal scores in a convenient format to not miss anything important and be the first to know about the results of the fight for the top-4 of the English Premier League. This battle promises to be tense and will certainly hold us in suspense until the very end of the championship.
Iranian People Celebrate Yalda Night Together
Yalda Night (Shab-e Chelleh) is Persian winter event which is commemorated on or around December 20 or 21 each year.
Today, Yalda celebrations have become a social occasion when friends and family gather to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafez) until after midnight.
Each member of the family makes a wish and randomly opens Hafez’s book of poems and recites the poem, which is believed to be an interpretation to the wish.
Fruits, particularly pomegranates and watermelons, and nuts are served in this night. The fruits signify the hope for having a fruitful spring and summer.
The red-colored fruits are believed to symbolize the crimson hues of dawn and glow of life, invoking the glory of Mithra. Pomegranates with angelica powder are also believed to protect individuals against the Devil.
Central Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and some Caucasian states like Azerbaijan and Armenia share the same tradition as well and celebrate Yalda Night annually at this time of the year.
Yalda Night was officially added to Iran’s List of National Treasures during a special ceremony in 2008.
The annual winter ceremony manifests the traditional concept of light and good prevailing over darkness and evil in the ancient Iranian religion.
Despite all the economic hardships, many Iranians today were seen making their purchases of fruits such as pomegranates, watermelons and various dried nuts for the night’s celebration.
What follows are photos of people at Tehran’s Tajrish Bazaar ahead of Yalda Night:
Japan Not to Join US-led Maritime Coalition in Persian Gulf: Iran
The Iranian president said Japan just wants to bring a surveillance ship to the region, not in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, but in the Bab el-Mandeb and part of the Oman Sea.
“The Japanese Prime Minister outlined his plan in this regard and of course, we told the Japanese that our view of regional security is a fixed one. We said we believe regional security should be provided by regional countries and therefore we have proposed the Hormuz Peace Initiative.”
President Rouhani made the comments upon his arrival at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on Saturday evening after paying a visit to Japan and Malaysia, where he attended the KL 2019 Summit.
Rouhani stated that Tehran, Kuala Lumpur, Ankara, and Doha have made very good decisions to cooperate quadrilaterally, and of course other countries are also invited to address the issue of development, especially in the field of new technologies and industries.
“The Kuala Lumpur Summit was a new way of gathering Muslims and Islamic thinkers in the presence of a number of Muslim leaders. The summit was in fact held to cooperate with Muslim countries to achieve a favourable development in today’s situation,” he added.
The president added that about 2000 thinkers and experts had been invited from about 80 countries including heads of Muslim countries like Iran, Turkey, Qatar.
“In addition to addressing the plenary, there was also a discussion on the first day of the summit on how to develop in the Muslim world.”
In addition to this summit, it is important for us to develop relations with Malaysia. Fortunately, since the beginning of the eleventh Iranian government, the ties between the two countries have strengthened and become more intimate than in the past. When Mahathir Mohamed assumed the Prime Minister’s post, the relations got much closer, noted Rouhani.
He also asserted that during this short period of time, bilateral relations were discussed two or three times, and the two sides made good decisions on bilateral ties. He added that a joint meeting of the two countries will be held soon and PM Mahatir Mohamed is interested in visiting Tehran in the near future.
“Fortunately, the two countries made good decisions to cooperate in industry, and especially in some of the most important industrial areas, and there were good discussions on economic and financial-banking issues. Iran’s proposal at the summit of Muslim countries was on the topic of digital economy and the common market in this field. The creation of a joint fund for new technologies and knowledge-based companies, as well as the issue of crypto-currencies and cooperation in artificial intelligence and cyber security were on the agenda. The leaders agreed to take practical steps in this regard,” underlined the Iranian president.
He went on to say that on the sidelines of this summit, he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional issues, including Syria.
“We also had a separate meeting with the Emir of Qatar, in which we discussed cooperation between the two countries, especially the Hormuz Peace Initiative, which has been welcomed by Doha.”
Referring the goals of his trip to Japan, President Rouhani said this year is the 90th anniversary of political ties between Tehran and Tokyo.
“Fortunately this year, there was a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Abe and me, once in Tehran, which a Japanese PM had after about 40 years, and he invited me to have a trip to Japan.”
The president added that Tehran hoped to make the trip this year, on the 90th anniversary of political relations between the two sides, and fortunately this came true.
The visit was also aimed at expanding bilateral relations and the political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries, he mentioned.
“The other night that we had a meeting with PM Abe, the Iranians had a meeting with some Japanese on the occasion of Yalda Night. The Japanese paid tribute to Yalda and decorated the table with the same traditional fruits.”
The president said there are generally good cultural commonalities between Iran and Japan, including Nowruz and Nature Day.
“Today, we had a meeting with representatives of the Japanese companies operating in Iran that are maintaining economic relations still under sanctions. They all insisted on continuing economic ties, and some problems were also addressed. In sum, it was a very good meeting.”
Regarding the sanctions he said “on the issue of sanctions some countries are more sensitive than the others. Except one or two countries in the world, the rest are opposed to sanctions, and everyone knows these sanctions are against international law and will not have any results. They all agree that Americans are forced to change their policy.”
President Rouhani continued that in fact, sanctions are something that is harmful to all countries – not just Iran. It is a lose-lose situation and the US has made the wrong decision.
“The Japanese, Europeans and others are working to break the sanctions and have suggestions and solutions that we have discussed. We do believe that breaking the sanctions and removing the US conspiracy to sanction Iran is a necessary national job, and it is our duty to break the sanctions. So we have consultations mostly with some European countries and Japan.”
Rouhani said both the Japanese and Iranian sides had a new proposal to break the sanctions. They were discussed and it was decided to continue consultations. Another issue that matters to the Japanese and, of course, to all the major countries in Asia and Europe, is the issue of energy security and shipping in the region; because their energy needs depend on the region and its security.
The security of the region is important to all countries, including Japan, so great discussions were held about the whole region, the president continued.
Rouhani noted that the Japanese have announced that they are going to invest in Chabahar, and PM Abe has said that Chabahar is very important to them.
“The South-North transit problem, which extends from Chabahar to the Caspian Sea and from there to Turkmenistan, is very important to them. We had also good and fruitful discussions on the Afghanistan issue and the two countries’ partnership for peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan. Excellent discussions were also held on other regional issues, including the rights of the Palestinian people and issues related to Syria and Iraq.”
The president said that they discussed the situation in Yemen in more detail adding that the Japanese believed we should all strive for peace, stability in Yemen.
Rouhani said it is expected that all friendly countries with closer relations with Iran can maintain both the security of the region and preserve the JCPOA which is of great importance to them as they say.
President Rouhani described his visit to Malaysia and Japan as very important at the moment and stated that very good agreements were made with four countries in Malaysia and also in Japan.
