eMagazine of the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran in Tokyo

NO.87

                     

10/9/2008

   

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

President: UN should play graver role in settling regional problems 

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Wednesday that the UN should strive more to settle regional and international conflicts.

In a meeting with the UN chief's new special envoy for Iraq affairs Stephen de Mistura, President Ahmadinejad expressed hope that the UN envoy's efforts will lead to restoration of peace, stability, security and integrity to Iraq.

He said the occupiers' presence in Iraq has been cause of many plights in the country.

"The solution to the problem is the occupiers' leaving Iraq on a timetable," he added.

The President went on to say that Iraqi government has a grave role to restore peace and security in Iraq.

"If the Iraqi government gets powerful, it can solve problems of the country better than before," he said.

He noted that all should help Iraq be united and remain cohesive.

"No one benefits from tension and war in Iraq and to this end, maintaining Iraqi government's strength is the main condition for the country's national unity and integrity," he announced.

Thanking all regional countries' contribution to restoration of stability and security in Iraq, President Ahmadinejad said independent and developed Iraq will be to the benefit of whole the region.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes all regional countries' efforts for promotion of bilateral and multilateral friendship," he announced.

He added that Iranian nation and government have been maintaining age-old and firm relations with Iraqi government and nation and they will continue to help consolidation of national unity, progress and security there.

He underlined the need for the UN to help solve Iraq problems.

"Though the UN was a little behind incidents in the beginning of Iraq occupation, but the UN Chief is eager to play more constructive role in Iraq," he said.

Thanking the UN envoy's kind efforts in Iraq, President Ahmadinejad said the envoy's presence has provided a good chance to restore the UN prestige in connection with Iraq because the UN image to be improved.

De Misural for his part thanked Iran's humanitarian efforts in Iraq case and hoped that the UN will in cooperation with regional states, including Iran, further guarantee security and peace in Iraq.

Earlier, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani told De Mistura that Iran's policy is based on supporting Iraq's independence and respecting Iraqi people's right to decide their own fate.

"To solve Iraq problem, Iraqi people and national leaders should be trusted and their country's sovereignty should be returned to them.

Americans refusal to allow the Iraqi people to administer their own affairs might lead to a confrontation," Larijani further told de Mistura.

He said Iraq's security and stability are highly important for the region. "Iraq's security will have an stabilizing effect under present conditions in the region," he added.

He said that occupiers' presence in Iraq and Afghanistan has provided a pretext for terrorist groups to continue their activities.

"The refusal of US forces to leave Iraq is detrimental to the US and a cause of tension in the region," he added.

The Iranian speaker said that since security and general conditions have improved in Iraq, it is time to remove Iraq from chapter 7 of the UN Charter.

Larijani said Iranian and Iraqi nations are strongly and historically linked with each other due to their religious commonality and geographical proximity.

He said Iran's policy will continue to be in support of reconstruction of Iraqi economic and industrial centers and restoration of stability and calm to Iraq.

De Mistura, for his part, termed Iran as a highly important neighbor of Iraq, saying that assistance of regional countries especially Iran have been highly influential in improvement of Iraq security and its economic conditions.

He said the UN welcomes contribution of regional states, especially Iran to promotion of security in Iraq.

The UN envoy then briefed Larijani on conditions in Kirkuk, law on oil and elections in Iraq.

Signs of conflagration discovered at Parthian castle in northern Iran

Signs of a destructive fire were unearthed during the recent excavations on the castle’s earliest strata that date back to the Parthian era,” the archaeological team director Mohammadreza Khalatbari told the Persian service of CHN on Tuesday.  

The castle had likely been abandoned temporarily, he added.

 

The archaeologists have also dug out brands, which are surmised to be remains of the poles used in construction of the castle.

 

A human skeleton was also found in the burnt stratum. It is believed that the death resulted from the fire. The skeleton has seriously disintegrated over time.

 

Kaluraz is one of the many ancient sites of the Rostamabad region located in northern Iran’s Gilan Province.

 

Ruins of the castle as well as many other Parthian architectural structures were unearthed by Khalatbari’s team in November 2005. They previously unearthed 3000-year-old gray shards in the lower strata of the site, which date back to the first millennium BC. The archaeologists believe these items indicate that Kaluraz was a residential area during the Iron Age.

 

A team of Japanese experts collaborated with Khalatbari’s team on the site in 2005. The Japanese team had previously prepared Gilan’s archaeological site maps, spotting 90 archaeological sites that had been discovered in Gilan over the years.

 

The joint team had made the first discovery of a Neolithic Age site in Gilan near the Sefidrud River in September 2004.

 Archaeologists have recently found evidence indicating the Parthian castle at the ancient Kaluraz mound site burned down about 2200 years ago.

$30b investment in SP petrochemical projects

Iran has invested about $30 billion in petrochemical projects of South Pars’ phases 1 and 2,” National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NIPC) managing director said here on Tuesday.

So far $7.5 billion has been invested in South Pars phase 1 petrochemical projects, $13 billion in phase 2 and $9 billion in downstream petrochemical projects,” Gholam-Hossein Nejabat explained.

 

“The estimated sales value of phase 1 of petrochemical products is about $8.2 billion per year while the estimated amount for phase 2 of petrochemical products after implementation will be about $14,135 million,” he added.

 

 

Iran-UN to hold seminar on financial corruption 

An international seminar on financial corruption will be held in Tehran on November 3-4, United Nations Development Program said on Monday.


The seminar will discuss money laundering, tax evasion, social justice, corruption and economic development.

Secretariat of the seminar has received over 32 articles from the noted professors so far, the UN Information Center said.

UN Resident Representative in Iran Mr. Knut Ostby told reporters on Monday that corruption is the root cause of inequality and injustice across the world.

Given that corruption ruins the opportunities, Mr. Ostby said that the financial corruption widens the gap between the rich and the poor.

He said that corruption is one of the most important issues across the world nowadays requiring international campaign.

Mr. Ostby said that there is a direct relationship between corruption and human development too.

"Over billions of dollars are being misappropriated through vested interest or corruption," he said, indicating that corruption widens the divide in society, violates human rights and destroys the environment."

al Mahmoud Bahmani said on the sidelines of the
inauguration ceremony that the Iran-Europe Commercial Bank is the first of six
foreign banks which will open in Iran.

 

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  Events:

      

Art of clay and flame: Erthenware Vessels in the World 

Ancient Persia Exhibition

The 5th Tehran International Biannual Art Competition & Exhibition for Children and Young Adults – 2008

 Painting and playing games are considered two joyful and attractive activities for children, because both are inspiring and done with interest and enthusiasm. 

Toy drawing can provide inspiring creation; it can also reflect the pure and polychromatic world of children. 

Therefore the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults has selected the theme “Me and My Toys” for the 5th International Biannual Art Exhibition for Children and Young Adults.

Address: Center for the Cultural & Artistic Creations --- Hejab St., Fatemi Ave., Tehran, Iran

1415613144  Tel: +982188955816  Fax: +982188971309

P.O.Box: 14145/136

 Participation Rules:

1. Subject: “Me and My Toys”

2. The competition is open to children of the following age groups:

          3-6 years old

          7-9 years old

          10-12 years old

3. Any technique and material is accepted (poster color, water color, pastel, colored pencil…)

4. Size of each entry: minimum 30 x 21 cm (A4) and maximum 70 x 50 cm

5. All entries should be received no later than February 19th, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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