Attar’s Mausoleum in Nishapur
April 13 is known as Attar’s day in Iran. On this special occasion, Iranians pay a visit to his mausoleum.
India, Untapped Market for Iran Petchem Products
Mehdi Sharifi Niknafs, managing director of Petrochemical Commercial Company, told Shana that the company participated in P4 Expo India, 5-8 April 2016, adding that India is seen by Iran as its biggest market for petrochemical exports after China in the region.
He said Iran needs to be more careful about China as an export destination because the country has planned to launch major petrochemical and polymer projects on the one hand, and enjoys only 5% economic growth, lower than that of India.
“Regarding India’s faster development, the country can replace China as a major customer for Iran’s petrochemical productions,” he added.
Petrochemical consignments from Iran take 2 or 3 days to get to Indian destinations while the time is up to 45 days to them to reach Chinese territories, he added.
During P4 Expo, Iranian exhibitors presented their latest achievements in plastics and polymer industries, he said.
“The showcase was a good opportunity for marketing our petrochemical products in Asia and our stand sparked much interest among the fair’s visitors,” he said.
P4 Expo India offers a platform for both Indian and international companies to showcase their expertise, products, and technology innovations. Spread across several thousand sq. mt, P4 Expo brings together the entire value chain of petrochemical, plastics, packaging and printing industries under one roof and throw open the best networking opportunities for exhibitors and visitors alike.
British Banks Remain Reluctant to Finance Trade with Iran
“This is a problem I regret will take a little time to resolve,” said Britain’s trade envoy to Iran, former finance minister Norman Lamont, as quoted by Reuters.
“You can understand why they (banks) are extremely cautious – they have already been fined billions of dollars,” he told a City & Financial Iran Trade conference in London.
Meanwhile, Alexandra Renison, with Britain’s Institute of Directors (IoD) lobby group, said that smaller European banks were starting to move toward providing trade finance to Iran, but the “risk appetite is absolutely not there” for British lenders.
“Any banks in the UK that really have any exposure in the United States … are simply not budging,” she told the conference.
Additionally, British Trade and Investment Minister Mark Price said the UK was working on these issues with Washington, adding that Business Secretary Sajid Javid would meet with British banks ahead of an official trade delegation to Iran next month.
“His plan is to take UK banks out on that delegation,” Price told the conference. “This government would like to see the banks play their part.”
A huge delegation of British businessmen is planned to travel to Iran in May in a bid to explore business opportunities in the Islamic Republic following the termination of anti-Tehran sanctions.
Javid will lead the delegation of British businessmen to Iran.
There will be executives on the trip from across the oil and gas, financial services, infrastructure and engineering sectors.
Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) reached a nuclear deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16.
The comprehensive nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), terminated all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran, but the country is not getting the full economic fruits of the landmark deal yet.
Iranian, Kazakh Judiciary officials sign MoU on judicial cooperation
Prosecutor Montazeri underlined necessity of expansion relations and legal, judicial cooperation between the two countries.
Montazeri said that terrorism is one of the major concerns of the world community and unfortunately some of the big powers are supporting them.
He said that Iran supports international peace and security in the region and that Iran is ready to offer assistance to Kazakhstan in campaign against drug-trafficking.
Montazeri said that fight against drug trafficking needs collective cooperation of the international community.
Daulbayev expressed pleasure with his visit to Iran and appreciated Iranian hospitality.
He congratulated Montazeri for his appointment to the post and said that relations between the two countries have always been upon mutual respect.
He welcomed expansion of legal, judicial relations between Iran and Kazakhstan and said that the aim of signing legal and judicial agreement was improving justice affairs and facilitating the legal issues of the people living in the two countries.
He called for using Iranian experience in the field of fight against terrorism and extremism.
Daulbayev also called for more cooperation with Iran in the field of fight against drug trafficking at international level, saying that his office is ready to exchange views with Iranian justice officials and use Iranian legal experience to address the justice issues.
De Mistura arrives in Iran ahead of Syria peace talks
The indirect talks between the Syrian government and opposition will resume in the Swiss city on April 13.
De Mistura planned to meet senior Iranian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
The UN envoy traveled to Damascus on Sunday and met with Syrian officials there. He said there that the upcoming round of intra-Syrian dialogue would be “crucially important.”
The last round of the UN-backed peace talks for Syria came to a halt on March 24 over disagreements on the role of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s future.
The foreign-backed Syrian opposition says Assad must step down before a transitional government can be established.
Last month, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem reiterated that Syria “will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency,” adding, “Bashar al-Assad is a red line.”
The West and its allies in the Middle East say Assad cannot be part of a future government in Syria. Iran and Russia insist that the Syrian people must decide on their future.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.
According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict in the Arab country has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people and displaced nearly half of its pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
“Starless Dreams”, “Sonita” win awards at Full Frame festival
Directed by Mehrdad Oskui, the film won the grand award of the festival which was sponsored by the Reva and David Logan Foundation.
In the documentary, young women in an Iranian juvenile detention center reflect on the crimes they have committed and the harsh circumstances that have shaped their lives.
“We are presenting the Grand Jury Award to a film that took us into a world we are not normally privileged to see,” The jury composed of Rachel Boynton, Margaret Brown, and Ricki Stern stated.
“Beautifully crafted with tenderness and enormous respect for the people in it, this film left us with a bracing emotional punch,” they added.
“Starless Dreams” also received the Full Frame Inspiration Award, which was sponsored by the Hartley Film Foundation.
The jury in this category, Sarah Masters, Michael Palmieri and Malika Zouhali-Worrall said, “This award is presented to the film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality.”
Cinema Guild, the New York-Based film distributor, holds the franchise for distribution of “Starless Dreams” in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
“Sonita” directed by Rokhsareh Qaemmaqami was presented with the Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award, which was provided by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.
The documentary is about Sonita, an Afghan refugee living in Iran who fights to keep her dream of becoming a rap star alive, while her family attempts to sell her as a bride.
The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short went to “Clínica de Migrantes: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, directed by Maxim Pozdorovkin from the U.S.
The festival is organized by the Center for Documentary Studies, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, and receives support from corporate sponsors, private foundations and individual donors.
Photo: A poster for “Starless Dreams”
Anniversary of Imam Hadi’s Martyrdom Commemorated at Sayyida Masoumah, Qom
Martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hadi held at holy shrine of Sayyida Masoumah in Qom, Iran 1437-2016
Official: Political Resolve to Solve Syrian Crisis at Hand
The talks between the Syrian government, opposition groups and civil society are on the verge of a new phase. Amir-Abdollahian commented that, “We are glad to witness that the grounds for political resolution to solve the Syrian crisis have been prepared.”
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks on the sidelines of his meeting with the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, in Tehran on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, he said that they he had had very significant negotiations with the UN envoy for Syria on the continued political talks on the Syrian crisis.
In the meeting, many topics were raised, including the concern about the increase in the activities of irresponsible armed groups in Syria in recent days, and also the rise in the number of ceasefire violations, which can harm the pace of political progress in the country, Amir-Abdollahian said.
Humanitarian aid shipments are delivered quite selectively by some groups, which has created many problems, he added.
Supporting the efforts of the UN envoy for Syria to resolve the country’s crisis through political means, he said, “We are very satisfied to witness that regional and international parties are serious in the fight against terrorism, and are trying to bolster the pace of political talks and avoid taking actions against Syria’s national interests.”
“The fight against terrorism should be continued seriously, and talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups can produce satisfactory results,” he stated.
Some terrorist groups had tried to enter into talks with the Syrian government under concealed identities, he said.
Iranian oil tankers free to cross Panama Canal
In time with the visit to Tehran of Jorge Barakat Pitty, Panama’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority, and conducting final negotiations with Iranian authorities, the agreement has been reached for the Iranian tankers to commute through the Panama Canal using the flag of convenience.
Following a meeting with Jorge Barakat Pitty of Panama, Director of National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) Ali Akbar Safaei announced the Caribbean littoral state’s readiness to cooperate with Iran in various areas including ship registration, and to allow Iranian merchant ships to fly Panama’s flag.
Panama has just three million people and little history of maritime trade yet paradoxically is home to the world’s largest fleet of ships.
As of 2009, more than half of the world’s merchant ships were registered with open registries, and the Panama flags accounted for almost 18% of the entire world fleet, in terms of deadweight tonnage.
During sanction year, Iranian tankers had to fly flags of African counties like Tanzania in order to bypass international restrictions as Panama would not cooperate with Iran in this regard.
