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Russia “optimistic” about Iran nuclear talks

Sergei Ryabkov

Russia’s deputy foreign minister says he is “reasonably optimistic” that Iran and P5+1 can reach a comprehensive nuclear deal before the November 24 deadline despite the remaining disagreements.

“The glass is not half empty. We are reasonably optimistic but not to an extent that we are sure that this agreement can be achieved. It is really a unique and never-tried-before effort,” said Sergei Ryabkov in the Omani capital city of Muscat on Tuesday.

Ryabkov added that Russia is “fully committed” to the talks between Iran and the six world powers and is doing its best to help the negotiations end in an agreement.

“Russia nationally has done a lot to facilitate progress. Russia is very interested in achieving this agreement and very wrong are those who believe that — for whatever reasons — because of our complications with the West, with the US, we are now less interested in this agreement. This is not true, we are fully committed and we are working towards this end,” the Russian official stated.

Top officials from Iran and P5+1 wrapped up talks over Iran’s nuclear program in Muscat on Tuesday.

The meeting was led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union’s envoy, Catherine Ashton, who represents the six countries in the talks.

Sources close to the Iranian negotiating team say the main stumbling block in the way of resolving the Western dispute over Iran’s nuclear energy program remains to be the removal of all the bans imposed on the country, and not the number of centrifuges or the level of uranium enrichment.

Tehran wants the sanctions entirely lifted while Washington, under pressure from the pro-Israeli lobby, insists that at least the UN-imposed sanctions should remain in place.

Iran serious in resolving “artificial nuclear crisis”: Iran’s FM

Mohammad Javad Zarif

Iran’s foreign minister says the country is serious in its pursuit of the resolution of the “artificial crisis” about its nuclear energy program.

“Iran is seriously after the resolution of the artificial nuclear crisis and has entered negotiation with absolute good will,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a meeting with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said in Muscat on Tuesday.

Muscat began hosting three days of crucial negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program on Sunday.

On Monday, Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry and European Union envoy Catherine Ashton wrapped up two days of discussions in the Omani capital. On Tuesday, top officials from Iran and P5+1 wrapped up the talks, which were led by Zarif and Ashton.

The Muscat meetings discussed the outstanding issues that must be resolved before the conclusion of a final deal on Iran’s nuclear energy program.

On the top of the agenda were the volume of Iran’s uranium enrichment and the timetable for the removal of sanctions. The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the world powers is set to be held in the Austrian capital Vienna on November 18-24.

“The issue of sanctions and the issues surrounding it have had no effect on the Iranian nation’s will… to possess peaceful nuclear energy,” said the Iranian top diplomat.

“Some countries have fallen prey to miscalculation owing to wrong analysis.”

The Omani official termed the holding of the nuclear negotiations and trying to reach a solution as intelligent and judicious.

“Oman hopes this trend leads to good results,” he said, adding that “should such a thing happen, its positive effects would be in favor of all.”

The two sides also expressed satisfaction with the trend of bilateral relations, described the capacity of the bilateral cooperation as vast and diverse, and laid emphasis on the two sides’ will to improve bilateral ties.

They also discussed the latest developments in the region.

Ways of discouraging Iranian mine owners from selling raw materials

Seyyed Mohammad Bayatian - Bijar MP

Presence of foreign investors in the country’s mining sector will result in a decline in exports of unprocessed materials and a hike in government’s tax revenues, SMT, a Tehran-based daily, quoted Seyyed Mohammad Bayatian, a member of parliament’s Industries and Mining Committee, as saying.

By levying high tariffs and enforcing tough regulations, parliament and government seek to encourage mine owners to process their products, he said.

Bayatian, who represents Bijar in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, went on to say that heavier tariffs will also push up added value, create jobs and prevent exports of raw materials.

Of course, tax incentives and provision of low-interest loans to mine owners should be part of government plans to encourage the industry to process materials before putting them for sale on the market, he concluded.

Azerbaijan can invest in Iran’s mining sector: MP

iran mines

There is enormous potential for Azerbaijan to invest in copper and zinc mines located in Iran’s border provinces, according to SMT, a daily, Azerbaijan’s Trend News Agency quoted Ali Alilu, a member of Parliament’s Industries and Mining Committee, as saying.

He further said the stage is set for Azeri investment in Shabestar mines, [in Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province] Turkey and Russia have already invested in.

Recalling the attention the Iranian government has begun to pay to the mining sector of late, the MP said there are additional opportunities for foreign investment in iron ore reserves in Yazd, Kerman, and Kurdistan provinces and in coal mines in Khorasan Razavi.

Iranian industry, mining and trade managers will compare notes in Sanandaj

Mohammad Darehvazmi - Head of Kurdistan IMT ministry

“Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan Province, is to play host to a national gathering of senior officials of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, including Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh,” SMT, a daily, quoted Head of Kurdistan Provincial Industry, Mines, and Trade Department Mohammad Darehvazmi as saying on November 11.

At the 2-day meeting, opening on November 12, structural matters about the ministry as well as new domestic and foreign trade policies will be discussed, said Darehvazmi.

Will president’s new pick for Science Ministry get a nod from parliament?

Iran Parliament

President Hassan Rouhani in a letter to parliament introduced Dr. Fakhreddin Ahmadi Danesh-Ashtiani as his new nominee to lead the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on November 11.

Dr. Fakhreddin Ahmadi Danesh-Ashtiani
Dr. Fakhreddin Ahmadi Danesh-Ashtiani

“According to parliamentary regulations, the Islamic Consultative Assembly has 10 days to analyze the plans of the proposed minister and organize a vote of confidence which is most likely to be held on either November 18 or 19,” said Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Majid Nasirpour.

Ahmadi Danesh-Ashtiani was deputy science minister at the helm of the planning and finance departments under President Khatami.

Earlier the chamber failed to vote for Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi, a replacement candidate introduced by the government of Prudence and Hope to take over the science ministry after Reza Faraji-Dana was impeached on October 29, ten months after the Islamic Consultative Assembly endorsed him for the portfolio.

Ja’far Mili-Monfared, President Rouhani’s first pick for the job, failed to garner a vote of confidence from the chamber too.

Iran’s Siamand Rahman has won IPC ‘Athlete of the Month’ vote

Siamand Rahman - world’s strongest Paralympian

In a poll conducted by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Iran’s Siamand Rahman, the world’s strongest Paralympian, secured more than 60 percent of the public vote to become October’s ‘Athlete of the Month, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on November 11.

The gold medalist in Men’s +107 kg in the 2014 Asian Para Games in South Korea garnered 63.9 percent of the vote.

His fellow Iranian Sareh Javanmardi, a female Paralympic shooter, placed second with 34.3 percent of the vote.

Iran marks Nat’l Quality Day, vowing to improve quality of domestic products

Mohammad Shariatmadari - National Quality Day Ceremony

A ceremony to celebrate National Quality Day in Iran has failed to pick a top unit this year, as it has been the case during the past [few] years. The ceremony attended by the health minister, a number of MPs and a host of university professors as well as producers and industrialists evaluated the performance of over 100 production units and organizations and found only two of them eligible for a bronze statuette.

The participants underlined a special look at quality and the role it plays in economic development, calling for a new approach to the quality of items and services in the country. The following is a partial translation of a report filed by SMT daily on Monday November 10 on what some participants had to say:

Mohammad Shariatmadari
M. Shariatmadari – Vice-president for Executive Affairs

Quality plays a matchless role in reducing poverty

Vice-president for Executive Affairs Mohammad Shariatmadari, said in the ceremony that society should view quality as public discourse.

He said that quality and standards are instrumental for business institutions to achieve profitability. They play a key role in eradicating poverty, too. […]

A classified list of harmful actions and products is being drawn up

At the ceremony Health Minister Seyyed Hassan Hashemi took the stage and said:

The Health Ministry is making a confidential list of products and actions it deems harmful to public health and will later hand it over to related officials.

I hope those in charge take heed of that list because the items on it harm people’s souls, minds and bodies.

I also hope the side effects of these items on people’s health could be minimized.

The Health Ministry has on its agenda plans to improve [the quality of] domestically produced or imported food supplies. To that end, the ministry and the Iranian National Standards Organization should pursue common goals.

Seyed Hassan Hashemi - Iran Health Minister
Seyed Hassan Hashemi – Iran Health Minister

Plans to reduce the public consumption of salt, sugar and oil, and efforts to promote a better lifestyle are the main topics of the food quality improvement plan. The cooperation of the Iranian National Standards Organization is needed to make considerable improvements in the quality of air, water and roads.

Enrichment of foodstuffs

Hashemi went on to say:

We are trying to implement plans to enrich food with micronutrients. A majority of Iranians suffer from vitamins A and D deficiencies; that’s why the ministry is trying to alleviate the problem through food fortification projects.

As for other food-related programs of the Health Ministry, I should say that plans will be carried out in cooperation with the Agriculture Ministry and the National Standards Organization in ten regional hubs in the country to upgrade the quality of agricultural products and lessen the effects of pesticides and herbicides on food products.

By implementing a nutrition facts plan, we will label food items to let consumers know if the products they are having are approved by the Health Ministry in terms of the amount of fat, sugar and salt they bear.

As part of a soon-to-be-announced plan to transform the healthcare system, foodstuff production processes will be supervised.

Customer satisfaction does not necessarily mean that products are qualitatively perfect, because customers may be unaware of the fake items. To oversee the quality of products and services, they should be exported to foreign destinations so that these items could be assessed in a competitive market.

Nayereh Pirouzbakht - Head of Standard
Nayereh Pirouzbakht – Head of Standards Org.

A new approach to quality is needed      

Head of the Iranian National Standards Organization (INSO) Nayereh Pirouzbakht was another speaker at the ceremony. She said:

A new quality approach should be adopted in the country to be pursued by all institutions and organizations. The National Standards Organization cannot deal with the question of quality alone; it calls for a collective will.

People expect the National Standards Organization to not only set standards but also manage and evaluate the quality of products. A new department has been established at INSO of late to focus on quality.

[…]

Farshid Shokrkhodaee - Secretary of INQA
Farshid Shokrkhodaee – Secretary of INQA

Two bronzes awarded

Secretary of Iran National Quality Award (INQA) Assessment Committee Farshid Shokrkhodaee, for his part, said:

The INQA is awarded to an institution which is graded over 700. So far, none of the institutions has secured the golden prize and only two units (Avrand Plastic Co. and Isfahan Province Gas Company which managed to secure the four-star “Recognized for Excellence” certificate) were given the bronze statuettes for scoring at least 500 out of 1,000 [on the basis of the EFQM Excellence Model].

Quality in Iran faces multiple challenges such as inattention to the concept of quality management; failure to develop standards for services; inability to manage new resources such asscience technology; inability to analyze data and learn from the results; and failure to promote the concept of quality in agriculture, animal husbandry, and construction industries.

National assessment of quality is a new concept which points up the significance of quality management. The assessments are not done just for the sake of granting awards; rather, they seek to identify and highlight the upsides of business institutions and organizations.

[…]

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11

Iranian Newspapers Headlines
Iranian Newspapers Headlines

An order by President Hassan Rouhani to have the Management and Planning Organization revived appeared on the front pages of many Iranian newspapers on Tuesday. Supreme Leader’s meeting with Iraq’s Nouri al-Maliki and his praise for the former Iraqi prime minister’s decision to quit in order to prevent his country from plunging into chaos also grabbed headlines. Finally, the comments of the judiciary spokesman that recent acid attacks in Isfahan have had neither political nor religious motivation drew a lot of front-page attention too.


Abrar: “Time is gone when governments followed a security approach to dealing with non-governmental organizations,” said Masoumeh Ebtekar, the director of the Environment Protection Organization.

Abrar: Iraqi officials have confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the IS terrorist group, has been wounded.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Abrar-e Eghtesadi: Iran’s oil revenues are projected to drop by as much as $1.6 billion in the last quarter [ending on March 21, 2015].

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Afarinesh: Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has said, “Iran’s missile capability is a deterrent and a source of stability in the region.”

Afarinesh: The health minister has inaugurated the most advanced public ophthalmology clinic in Iran. In a symbolic move, Seyyed Hassan Hashemi, an ophthalmologist himself, has operated on a patient there.

Afarinesh: Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has blamed the Islamic countries’ lack of development on religious divisions.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Afkar: Iranian First Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri and his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki have stressed cross-border cooperation to counter common enemies.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Aftab-e Yazd: President Rouhani has ordered the Management and Planning Organization to be reinstated.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Arman-e Emrooz: “[Former President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad dragged Iran’s economy into a dangerous game,” said Dr. Mohammad Khoshchehreh, an economist and politician who previously served as an advisor to Ahmadinejad.

Arman-e Emrooz: If a bill proposed by a host of Iranian MPs clears the Islamic Consultative Assembly, dog walking would be punishable by 74 lashes.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Asia: Representatives of European electricity giants are in Iran; deals worth as much as $20 billion are likely to be signed.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Asr-e Iranian: Parliament and government see eye to eye on not allowing I am not Angry to hit the screen.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Asrar: For the first time since the victory of the Islamic Revolution [in 1979], Iran’s tourism balance has landed in the positive territory.

Asrar: “Iran has the most powerful missile systems in the region,” said Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Bani Film: Ordre national du Méritehas a special place in my trophy cabinet, said noted Iranian director Dariush Mehrjui.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Ebtekar: The number of European tourists who have arrived in Iran has registered a 200% increase over last year.

Ebtekar: After conclusion of talks between representatives of Iran, the EU and the US, the foreign minister of Oman, where the talks were held, said there has been a major step forward.

Ebtekar: With nuclear talks in high gear, opponents of [President Rouhani’s] government have stepped up their attacks against the administration, with one saying, “We won’t allow them to celebrate a nuclear deal.”

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Emtiaz: The number of Iranian senior citizens stands at more than 6 million. A national strategic document on the elderly will be completed shortly.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Esfahan Emrooz: In the first seven months of the year there have been as many as 75 million road trips across Isfahan Province.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Ettela’at: “Efforts to create unity in Iraq should continue,” the Supreme Leader told visiting Iraqi Vice-President Nouri al-Maliki.

Ettela’at: The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology has criticized the wording of the Fifth Development Plan for its failure to allocate enough budget to research.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Hambastegi: “As many as 5 million Iranians are suffering from diabetes,” said a Health Ministry official.


Hamshahri: Iranians set an early record in natural gas consumption. In case consumption does not ease off, shutoff of gas supplies in the coldest days of the winter is a real possibility.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Hemayat: The Judiciary will deal with acid attackers and media outlets that spread falsehood, vowed the judiciary spokesman.

Hemayat: “IS is a plot to interfere with Iraqi progress and development,” said Iranian Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani at a meeting with visiting Iraqi Vice-President Nouri al-Maliki.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Iran: Diplomats have been upbeat about nuclear talks in Muscat, Oman.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Iran Daily: Iranian version of US drone enters service. [The maiden flight of the domestically modified version of RQ-170 Sentinel came after Iran brought down the American unmanned aerial vehicle in a controlled fashion in December 2011]

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Jahan-e Sanat: Iran’s welfare index puts it in 107th place on a global list of 142 countries.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Jamejam: “Punishments awaiting those found guilty of staging acid attacks are set to become more severe,” said the Iranian Judiciary spokesman.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Javan: Despite transparent commitments by Iran, the US stuck to the weapon of sanctions.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Jomhouri Islami: The Iraqi foreign minister has said that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Kaenat: The Iranian oil minister has handed over a message by President Rouhani on the global oil market to the Qatari Emir.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Kayhan: In Spain, some 80 percent of Catalans have voted for independence in an unofficial referendum.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Mardomsalari: “In the end, we will make progress,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Qods: Acid attacks in Isfahan have been neither politically nor religiously motivated, said the Judiciary Spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.


Resalat: Iran’s men Kumite team have finished first in the 22nd World Karate Championships in Bremen, Germany.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Roozan: “The comments of [former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] set the case against my client in motion,” said the attorney of Mehdi Hashemi [a son of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani].

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Nov. 11


Iran, Iraq should join hands to counter enemies’ plots: Iran’s Vice President

Eshagh Jahangiri at a meeting with Nouri al-Maliki

Iran and Iraq should boost coordination and expand Tehran-Baghdad cooperation to counter the enemies’ plots in the region, Iranian First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri says.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran closely monitors issues in Iraq and regards Iraq’s stability and security as its own security and stands by the Iraqi government and nation under the current difficult conditions,” Jahangiri said in a meeting with Iraq’s Vice President Nouri al-Maliki in Tehran on Monday.

“We believe that collective security and stability in the region will be achieved only through joint regional cooperation,” he added.

Jahangiri stressed the importance of safeguarding Iraq’s territorial integrity through unity, expressing hope that the Iraqi officials’ wisdom would lead to the settlement of the country’s problems as soon as possible.

The Iranian vice president further called on regional countries to bolster cooperation to eliminate terrorism.

Maliki, for his part, pointed to the existing sensitive situation in the region and called on regional countries to converge in order to counter terrorist groups including the ISIL militants.

He said Tehran and Baghdad have great opportunities to improve economic, political, security, social and cultural relations and noted that the two sides have taken major steps to achieve this goal.

The ISIL terrorists currently control large areas of Iraq. The group sent its militants into Iraq in June, seizing large parts of land straddling the border between Syria and Iraq.

The ISIL militants have been carrying out horrific acts of violence, including public decapitations, against Iraqi communities such as Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

The Iraqi army has managed to make a number of gains in the fight against the ISIL militants in recent weeks.