Editorials
– Etimad handled the Taliban’s occupation of Qandoz city in North Afghanistan.
– “Iran” newspaper discussed the German economic minister’s visit to Tehran.
News Roundup
– Ten memoranda of understanding to be signed between Iran and Germany in Tehran
– Iran’s first new oil contract to be signed today
– Twitter will in no way be unblocked in Iran
– Employees of the Communications Company protest in front of the parliament
– Ali Larijani wonders about the German Economic Minister’s visit to Iran
Etimad Newspaper
Taliban’s control of the city of Kunduz is a message to Kabul
Tuesday’s editorial in Etimad newspaper analyzes a recent message from the Taliban movement following its reoccupation of Kunduz city in the north of Afghanistan. The editorial says that despite the passage of 13 years since the fall of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the roots of this terrorist group remain strong, with its members still capable of achieving more gains on the ground than ever before.
The Taliban has been able in recent days to take control of Kunduz, one of the most important cities in northern Afghanistan away from its traditional areas of influence the country’s central and southern areas where the Pashto tribes are located, enabling the movement to carry out terrorist operations around Kabul and other areas of the country. The editorial asks how the Taliban was able, after such a long period, to become active again, despite the killing of many of its former leaders and ongoing internal strife over the movement’s leadership, and why all the efforts to formulate a peace process in Afghanistan have failed. The editorialist suggests that a primary reason for these problems may be the internal differences in the country’s current government, which is weakening national unity and hobbling any efforts by the government to take practical steps, with this disunity and weakness in the government being clear to all in the strife-torn country.
The editorial suggests that the Taliban’s presence in Kunduz sends a message to the government in Kabul that with northern Afghanistan no longer safe, there is now no safe area in Afghanistan, showing the government’s ineffectiveness.
In fact, the editorial states, Iran was on the verge of getting involved in Afghanistan more than once during the Taliban government’s rule there, with the question now being whether the Taliban’s control of northern Afghanistan will push Iran to intervene directly against the Taliban or whether it will limit itself to its current intelligence-gathering activities there. The editorialist concludes by pointing that it’s known that Iran played a role in the air strike that killed the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, while he was returning from Iran to Afghanistan in May. The editorial fails to mention the Iranian regime’s well-documented longstanding relationship with the Taliban, or its supply of cash and arms for the group.
Iran Newspaper
Global messages on Germany’s economic presence in Iran.
An editorial in Tuesday’s ‘Iran’ newspaper focuses on the latest visit to Iran by the German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel and the impact of the visit on Tehran’s international relations concerning economic issues.
The editorial said that this second visit by the German minister to Iran is a strong message to global trade and economic markets, with 126 leading German firms keen to resume trade and economic relations with Iran, while the major European country’s Central Bank and two of its other leading banks are also enthusiastic at the prospective resumption of relations.
Last year’s bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached 2.5 billion euros in value, showing a slight improvement after years of decline. Germany is planning to increase this four-fold to reach an eventual annual trade volume worth 10 billion Euros annually within a short time, beginning from next year. The editorial further notes that the German government is reducing the volume of its trade with Russia in order to increase Iran’s share of the German import-export market.
Some powerful political bodies in Iran have flatly rejected the preconditions set by the German Economy Minister concerning the need for Iran to resume relations with Israel, improve its domestic human rights record, and change its position on regional issues, particularly the Syrian crisis and the situations in Iraq and Yemen, in order to begin economic cooperation, however. The Iranian Judiciary was one of the first bodies to condemn these preconditions, demanding that the German minister’s visit be cancelled.
It is unlikely, however, that the German leadership is unaware of Iran’s absolute refusal to discuss these topics, the editorialist notes, more especially with the European giant on the brink of a historic economic agreement with Iran, and with Russia recently celebrating the beginning of the second phase of its work on the $10 billion Bushehr nuclear power station which the German Siemens firm was also heavily involved in previously. The editorial concludes by stating that since Germany views Iran as a major economic opportunity following the lifting of previous Western sanctions, it’s likely that the German minister announced preconditions are simply lip service to civil society organizations in Germany and appeasement of Israel.
Shargh Newspaper
Unity is inevitable
An editorial in Tuesday’s Sharq newspaper called for unity amongst Iran’s reformist factions, asserting that this is both inevitable and essential for success in the upcoming phase, which will see the presidential election and local elections in May 2017.
The editorial stated that while Hassan Rouhani’s candidacy for the presidency and the reformists’ support for this are definite and largely unquestionable, they should also plan their policies for local elections, which have been largely ignored due to the focus on the issues surrounding the presidential election, including Rouhani’s candidacy, whether or not he will obtain the support of all reformists and a possible search for another candidate.
The writer calls on the reformist to field an agreed and unified list of candidates in the local elections, recalling their previous defeats in the Khatami era which began a succession of losses for the reformist blocs in these elections. The editorial concludes by asserting that the reformists must show their political maturity and unity through an ability to enter the electoral battle under a unified umbrella and by expressing their commitment to coordination between the various reformist factions in order to help the reformist bloc to triumph.
Iran’s first new oil contract to be signed today
Iranian deputy oil minister, Ali Kardor said that negotiations with foreign companies revolve around the development of oil and gas fields in Iran, asserting that the first oil contract will be signed today within the framework of the new model of oil contracts. He also added that another contract has been signed with an Iranian company to develop Yaran oil field. Kardor also said that 7 out of 9 oil fields have been negotiated for development within the new form of contract.
Source: Abrar Eghtisadi Newspaper
The government to prepare next year’s budget within currencies of single rates
Some news agencies said that the government is obliged to prepare the next year’s budget within currencies of single rates in order to maintain stability in the Iranian economy and keep lower inflation rates. In 2015 the budget circulation stated that the Iranian economy suffered many hardships, especially the fall of oil prices that led to the decline of governmental income for more than 40% in compare with 2014. It also stated that the successful administration of the economy in facing that crisis and the signing of the nuclear deal have maintained economic stability, which has become evident at the beginning of 2016; based on that assumption, communications of next year’s budget stress on maintaining economic stability, low inflation rates, boosting domestic production, and enhancing economic growth to achieve the objectives of the resistant economy and the sixth development program.
Source: Abrar Eghtisadi Newspaper
Iran and Germany sign ten memoranda of understanding
At the end of their fifth meeting of the joint economic committee, Iran and Germany signed ten memoranda of understanding in the presence of the Iranian minister of Economy and his German counterpart. The memoranda have included many aspects such as providing funds for projects and investments, banking cooperation; and infrastructure for energy, oil, gas, petrochemical, renewable energy, railroads, environment, roads, construction, car manufacturing, and technical transfer.
Source: Abrar Eghtisadi Newspaper
Twitter will in no way be unblocked in Iran
In response to the rumors of unblocking the popular social media site “Twitter” Abdulsamad Khurm Abadi, Judiciary assistant of the Iranian Attorney General said that this site is still banned and will never be used in Iran because of the lies and rumors it posts.
Source: Arman Amroz Newspaper
Judiciary Chief: “If I were in governments’ shoes, I would not allow German Minister of Economy to enter Iran”
Iran’s Chief of Judiciary, Sadiq Larijani has criticized the latest statements of the German Minister of economy concerning recognition of Israel and human rights violations in Iran, saying that if he were in government’s shoes, he would not allow a person like this to enter Iran, wondering about the EU’s position toward the massacres in Yemen as he claimed.
Larijani added that the German minister’s statements are illogical and inappropriate, adding that this minister is ignorant and unaware of the fact that Iran has stood firmly against such requests for more than 30 years.
Source: Etimad Newspaper
Naghavi: In case Ahmadinejad’s violation is proven, president of the court of accounts will be trialed
Spokesperson of foreign policy and national security commission in the Iranian parliament, Hussein Naghavi said that the court of accounts did not refer to any violations of Ahmadinejad in its report it brought up to MPs. He added that in case this violation is proven, president of the court of accounts will be trialed, in response to Khamenei’s recommendation to Nejad to not run presidential elections, noting that one of Nejad’s accusations is his ignorance of the Leader’s directives. According to the president of the court of accounts, Nejad was red-handed in the financial corruption prevailed during his second term that amounted to 60 billion Tomans. In the same concern, a hardliner MP of Varamin district said that what has been presented is a point of view of an MP that cannot be tackled by the parliament unless proven, asking the court of accounts to bring up this case officially to the parliament, which, if proven, will lead to the trial of the president of the court of accounts himself.
Source: ILNA Agency
Employees of Communications Company protest in front of the parliament
A crowd of employees in the communications company gathered in front of the Iranian parliament from all over the country to protest the no implementation of the classification plan, calling for the implementation of the plan and standardization of salaries and privileges for all employees of the company and the government.
Source: ILNA Agency
Germany to exert pressure on the U.S. to lift sanctions imposed on Iran
Minister of Economics and Deputy-Counselor of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel has promised to exert pressure on the United States to push it stick to its nuclear deal commitments and lift the sanctions imposed on Iran. During his two-day visit, the German minister is planned to sign ten economic contracts with Iran for 2.5 billion Euros.
Source: Mehr Agency
