Friday, January 31, 2025

Shiraz marks 46th anniv. of arrival of Imam Khomeini (RA)

By: Amin Berenjkar

SHIRAZ, (MNA) – People in Shiraz, Fars province, commemorated the 46th anniversary of the historic return of Imam Khomeini (RA) into the country from the exile which led to the victory of the Islamic Revolution 1979.

The ceremony was held at the venue of Shiraz Martyrs’ Resting Place and attended by the senior officials of Fars province.

Iran tries to be reliable partner in regional developments

1st Vice President

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Iranian First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref says the economic diplomacy of Iran places increasing importance on regional and multilateral mechanisms.

Speaking at the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Prime Ministers' meeting on Friday, Aref said that Iran’s becoming an observer in the Eurasian Economic Union is another step to deepen ties, which shows the country’s more effective role in the activities of this important economic body in the future.

Aref said that Iran’s economic diplomacy placed increasing importance on regional and multilateral mechanisms and expressed Tehran’s readiness to expand ties with other countries in key fields such as energy, new technologies, and transit.

He also said that apart from the creation of the Iran-EAEU corridor and to facilitate trade between the six member states, Iran is ready to strengthen the transit capacities of its ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to connect the landlocked member states of the EAEU to world markets.

The proposals presented by the First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran at this conference included connecting communication infrastructure, integrating laws and facilitating regulations in the digital economy sector, cooperating to create creation and develop common platforms, countering unilateralism for governance in the digital and artificial intelligence economy, and cooperating in the development of joint digital products and artificial intelligence tools to utilize the capabilities of the member countries of the EAEU in developing collaborations in the digital economy sector.

Aref also emphasized that it was time for Iran and the countries of the region to cooperate to build the foundations of a new digital and industrial era.

Aref traveled to Kazakhstan on Thursday to attend the EAEU Prime Ministers' meeting and the 2025 Almaty Digital Forum.

Iran's VP attends Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Almaty

By Mahnaz Abdi

TEHRAN- Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref arrived in Kazakhstan’s capital Almaty, on the head of a high-ranking delegation, on Thursday to attend Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and visit the Almaty Digital Summit 2025.

This visit came in response to an official invitation from Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov.

The first vice president was welcomed by the deputy prime minister of Kazakhstan and senior officials of the country upon her arrival at Almaty International Airport.

Iran, Kazakhstan emphasize strengthening of joint committees

Mohammad Reza Aref met and held talks with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov on Thursday, during his visit to Kazakhstan.

The first vice President emphasized the need to enhance economic and trade exchanges between Iran and Kazakhstan during his meeting with the prime minister of Kazakhstan.

In this meeting, Aref emphasized the need to enhance economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and to activate joint committees, referring to the cultural and civilizational commonalities of the two countries.

The first vice president of Iran also invited the prime minister of Kazakhstan to attend the Caspian Summit, which will be held in Tehran in mid-February, referring to the areas of development of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture and tourism.

Aref also mentioned Iran’s progress in the field of information technology and said that his country is ready to transfer its experiences in emerging technologies to neighboring countries.

The prime minister of Kazakhstan, in this meeting, emphasized the strengthening of the joint committees of the two countries.

‘Iran welcomes deepening of comprehensive relations with Belarus’

Iran’s first vice president emphasized the need to strengthen and activate the joint cooperation committees between Iran and Belarus during a meeting with the prime minister of Belarus, stating that Iran welcomes the deepening of comprehensive relations with Belarus.

Mohammad Reza Aref met with Roman Golovchenko, the prime minister of Belarus, on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of utilizing opportunities from significant regional and international summits and agreements, such as the Eurasian Union, to enhance trade and economic cooperation, especially in the private sector of the region’s countries.

He stated that Iran seeks to strengthen comprehensive relations with countries that share political, cultural, and historical commonalities.

The first vice president also stressed the necessity of strengthening and activating the joint cooperation committee between the two countries to follow up and implement mutual agreements.

He added that the role of the private sector is very important for the sustainability of trade relations between the two countries, and both sides should create opportunities for the private sector to be active.

Aref noted that Iran, relying on educated youth, has gained good experience in the field of knowledge-based companies and modern technologies and is ready to develop, exchange, and transfer valuable experiences of Iranian knowledge-based companies to Belarus.

The prime minister of Belarus, also emphasized the need to use the opportunity of the Eurasian Union to improve relations among member countries.

He stated that the joint cooperation committee between Iran and Belarus has been successfully held, and the volume of trade and economic exchanges between the two countries should be elevated to match the high level of political relations.

He also congratulated Iran on becoming an observer member of the EAEU, stating that Iran’s presence in the Eurasian Union significantly contributes to the economic and political richness of the union.

‘Iran firmly believes in developing relations with Kyrgyzstan’

On Friday, the second day of his visit to Kazakhstan, Mohammad Reza Aref met and held talks with Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev.

The first vice president, referring to the cultural and historical commonalities between Iran and Kyrgyzstan and their shared civilizational domain, said: "Tehran-Bishkek relations have been growing in recent decades, and the government of Iran firmly believes in developing relations with Kyrgyzstan."

In the meeting, Aref emphasized the extensive relations between Iran and Kyrgyzstan in economic, trade, and transportation fields, stating: "We must have serious cooperation in scientific and technological fields. Given the importance of developing relations with Kyrgyzstan, in addition to following up on agreements and memorandums of understanding, the activation of the joint cooperation committee between the two countries is expected."

He considered the presence of Iran and Kyrgyzstan in important regional organizations and agreements, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as a suitable opportunity for the development and deepening of relations between the two countries.

He emphasized the need to enhance economic exchanges between the two countries.

The official, referring to the cultural commonalities between Iran and Kyrgyzstan, stressed that these commonalities could lead to increased consultations between the two countries on regional issues.

Aref stated that some Western countries want to eliminate their competitors using human rights tools and emphasized the need to strengthen the common positions of the two countries in international forums.

The first vice president also invited the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan to attend the Caspian Summit, as a special guest, which will be held in Tehran on February 18.

‘EAEU members interested in expanding relations with Iran’

The prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, in this meeting emphasized that Kyrgyzstan places great importance on strengthening friendly relations with Iran and is ready for constructive dialogue at any level with Iranian counterparts.

Kasymaliev emphasized that the two countries have excellent potential for strengthening trade and economic cooperation, stating: "We hope that Iranian investment in Kyrgyzstan will increase, and in this regard, the joint cooperation committee between the two countries should be strengthened."

He stressed that Iran’s relations within the framework of the EAEU have been growing, and all member countries of this union are interested in expanding comprehensive relations with Iran.

Kyrgyzstan also positively evaluates Iran’s observer membership and believes that Iran’s membership will strengthen regional trade and Iran’s relations with member countries, he noted.

Aref also visited the Digital Almaty 2025 forum on Friday.

Photo: Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref (L)and Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov meet in Almaty on Thursday.

Knowledge-based companies attend Arab Health 2025

TEHRAN – Supported by the Organization for Development of International Cooperation in Science and Technology, and the Innovation and Prosperity Fund, seven Iranian Knowledge-based firms have participated in Arab Health Exhibition 2025, held from January 27 to 30, at Dubai World Trade Center.

The event, held under the theme ‘Where the World of Healthcare Meets’, brought together over 3,800 exhibitors and welcomed more than 60,000 visitors, serving as a unique platform for innovation, collaboration, and education in healthcare.

Exhibitors from more than 40 countries including Germany, the US, England, China, India, Iran, and France have participated in the exhibition, ISNA reported.

The event provided a great opportunity for Knowledge-based companies to display their most innovative and latest products, general services in medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and modern medical and health technologies.

Iran’s pavilion, set up to strengthen non-oil exports, expand international interactions, and feature the country's potential in the field of health and medicine, was well received by visitors.

Medicine exports increase by 19%

In the first half of the current Iranian year which started on March 20, 2024, the country has exported medicines worth $104.6 million, an increase of 19.7 percent year on year.

The exports amounted to 49,400 tons in volume, showing a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Customs Administration.

Some 345 companies have been involved in producing medicines, supplements, and raw materials, as well as importing pharmaceuticals in the six-month period of time.

Pharmaceutical companies have imported a total of 54,800 tons of commodities worth 1.1 billion dollars, indicating a 3.76 percent decrease in amount and a 4.5 percent increase in terms of value compared to the same period last year, IRNA reported.

In June 2024, Seyyed Ali Maboudi, an official with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said the FDA is developing a plan to increase pharmaceutical exports by 30 percent in the mid-term.

“In the past years, medicine exports in Iran accounted for a small share of non-oil exports. However, over the past year, it experienced a growing trend,” IRNA quoted Maboudi as saying.

The official went on to point out that the exports of raw materials and pharmaceutical products over the past Iranian calendar year (March 2023-March 2024) were valued at more than 100 million dollars.

“The Food and Drug Administration is planning to double the medicine exports in the short term and tenfold in the long term,” the official added.

Iran elected as next Chair of the Governing Council of APDIM

TEHRAN –During the Ninth Session of the Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM), the Islamic Republic of Iran was elected as the new Chair of the Governing Council, succeeding Tajikistan.

Hosted by Tehran, the Ninth Session was held on Wednesday, January 22, in Tehran, with participants joining both in person and virtually.

Delegates representing APDIM’s Governing Council member countries- Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Iran, Macao, China, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Turkey—were present in the session. Other ESCAP member states joined as observers, including Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan, the UN website announced in a press release on January 28.

Representatives from regional organizations such as the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), were also in attendance.

The session brought together member countries, observers, and regional organizations to review the Centre’s progress and set strategic priorities for the coming year.

The session opened with remarks by Jamshed Kamolzoda, Head of the Main Department for the Protection of the Population and Territories of the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, who presided over the session.

Also, Mohammad Qasemi, Deputy Head of the Plan and Budget Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), delivered opening remarks.

The Council reviewed APDIM’s activities and achievements since its last session. Discussions focused on advancement in disaster information management, capacity building and regional cooperation. An independent evaluation of the Centre’s performance was also presented, providing valuable insights into future planning.

During the session, the Islamic Republic of Iran was elected as the new Chair of the Governing Council, succeeding Tajikistan. India was elected Vice-Chair for the upcoming term.

Key outcomes of the session included the adoption of APDIM’s programme of work for 2025, taking note of the report on the activities of the Centre, the briefing on the process and key findings of the evaluation of the Centre, as well as APDIM’s report on its administrative and financial status.

The Ninth Session of the Governing Council reaffirmed APDIM’s readiness to further contribute to strengthening disaster information management across the Asia-Pacific region, and supporting resilience-building efforts aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM) is mandated to reduce human and economic losses due to natural hazards and contribute to the effective design, investment and implementation of disaster risk reduction and resilience policies.

APDIM serves as an information and knowledge repository to support the Governments and other stakeholders in the region to develop their capacities as well as to facilitate regional cooperation on transboundary hazards in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s initial proposal to establish APDIM was approved at the sixth-seventh session of the Commission in 2011.

Subsequently, in 2015, ESCAP Member States decided to establish APDIM as a subsidiary body of ESCAP.

The General Assembly recognized the establishment of APDIM hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran as a regional institution of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific through resolution 72/218.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and ESCAP signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of APDIM in January 2018 and the Centre was officially opened and headquartered in Tehran in the same year.

Russia strongly slams Trump's missile defense shield plan

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Russia on Friday condemned an executive order by US President Donald Trump to build a new missile defense shield, blaming the United States for trying to pave the wave for military confrontation in space.

Trump on Monday signed an order that "mandated a process to develop an ‘American Iron Dome,’" a next-generation US missile defense shield against ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missile, and other forms of aerial attack.

The White House claimed the intention was to modernize an outdated system and address a "catastrophic threat" that had become more complex as US adversaries developed new delivery systems.
But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the plan was aimed at undermining the ability of both Russia and China to exercise nuclear deterrence.

In the sharpest Russian criticism so far of a policy announced by Trump's new administration, she said that the planned US move would hinder the prospects for talks on nuclear arms control - something that both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have said they favor, Reuters reported.

"It (the plan) directly envisages a significant strengthening of the American nuclear arsenal and means for conducting combat operations in space, including the development and deployment of space-based interception systems," Zakharova told reporters at a news briefing in Moscow.

"We consider this as another confirmation of the US focus on turning space into an arena of armed confrontation... and the deployment of weapons there.

"The indicated US approaches will not contribute to reducing tensions or improving the situation in the strategic sphere, including creating a basis for a fruitful dialogue on strategic offensive arms," she said.

Imam Khomeini (RA) one of prominent figures in Islamic world

Senior cleric

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Tehran Provisional Friday Prayers Leader Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad Hassan Abu Torabi Fard says that the founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini (RA) was one of the outstanding and prominent figures in the Islamic world.

Speaking during this week's Friday Prayers sermon at the Mausoleum of Imam Khomeini (RA) in the downtown capital of Tehran, he stated that all intellectual, scientific, philosophical, jurisprudential, and monotheistic characteristics of the late Imam Khomeini (RA) were inspired by a divine source.

He congratulated the beginning of 10-Day Dawn which marks the historic return of Imam Khomeini (RA) to the country after 14 years in exile that led to the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution under the wise leadership of Imam Khomeini (RA).

Elsewhere in his remarks, the senior cleric emphasized that the late Imam Khomeini (RA) was one of the outstanding and prominent figures in the Islamic world.

“All of us should make our utmost effort to elevate and develop the political thought of the late Imam Khomeini (RA) and know the threats and opportunities and utilize all our capacity to turn threats into opportunities,” the cleric opined.

Imam Khomeini (RA) was a symbol of reliance on truth and courage, and he created political movements and great social and cultural transformations in the country, Tehran Friday prayers leader stressed.