Iran is participating in the 51st Berlin International Tourism Fair (ITB) which began on March 8.

The inaugural ceremony of the fair in the German capital was attended by the Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Zahra Ahmadipour.

Iran has set up 24 pavilions and tourism offices in the expo to introduce the Islamic Republic’s tourism potentials and capacities.

Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai inaugurated the international event which will run until March 12.

Tour operators, online booking portals and hotels, and many other service providers from over 180 countries are presenting their products and services at the event.

Known as the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show, ITB Berlin focuses on the ‘International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017’ — a slogan introduced by the UNWTO earlier this year.

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The first South Korean ship will be delivered to Iran in March 2018 based on a deal to buy 10 Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCV) from the Asian state, announced the managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).

Mohammad Saeedi added it is a 14,500 TEU container ship built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHI), Tasnim News Agency reported.

He said after receiving the first ship, the remaining ships will be handed over to the IRISL at monthly intervals.

The IRISL signed the deal with the HHI to buy 10 ships from the world’s largest shipbuilding company in December. Financed by South Korean banks, the contract was inked between representatives of the IRISL and the HHI on December 9, 2016.

Under the contract, valued at $650 million, Hyundai will build 14,500 TEU container ships and 50,000 DWT product tankers.

The contracts were parts of the IRISL’s plans to renovate its fleet at a total investment of $2.5 billion.

The company operates about 115 oceangoing vessels, but many of the ships are old and have been deemed unsafe to travel and cannot be insured.

The agreement marks Iran’s first deal with a foreign shipbuilder since the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions.

The sanctions were lifted after Tehran and the P5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France, and Germany) finalized a lasting nuclear deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

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An Airbus A330 aircraft arrived in Tehran on Saturday, the second of 200 Western-built passenger jets ordered by the national carrier Iran Air following the lifting of sanctions.

The long-haul aircraft, with Iran Air Chairman Farhad Parvaresh and other officials onboard, took off from the French city of Toulouse on Saturday and landed at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport five hours and 30 minutes later, IRNA reported.

The A330, which has 32 business class and 206 economy class seats, is suitable for long-distance flights and is expected to be used initially on European routes and on flights to Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.

The jetliner joins a smaller A321, which flew to Tehran on January 11.

“We are working very closely with Airbus, and we are both very keen to stay on schedule and committed to the contract that we made together,” Parvaresh told Reuters on Friday.

Iran had not directly purchased a Western-built plane in nearly 40 years, the one exception being the sale of an Airbus to replace one shot down by the USS Vincennes in 1988.

Iran ordered 100 aircraft from European plane maker Airbus in an 18-billion-dollar deal signed last year, which includes 46 aircraft from the A320 family, 38 from the A330 family, and 16 of the A350 XWB.

In the same year, Iran inked another agreement worth 16.6 billion dollars to buy 80 new planes from US aviation company, Boeing, comprising 50 737 jets and 30 777s.

Iran Air is also expected to finalize an accord to purchase 20 turboprops with European manufacturer ATR, which is jointly owned by Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo Finmeccanica.

The agreements came after the restrictions imposed on Iran’s aviation industry were lifted following a nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The JCPOA was negotiated between Iran and the P5+1 countries – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, plus Germany. It was finalized on July 14, 2015 and started being implemented on January 16, 2016.

Photo: Iran Air’s new Airbus landed in Tehran

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Figures show Fars province in general and Shiraz in particular were destinations of about 350,000 foreign tourists in the first 9 months of the fiscal year beginning March 21 2016.

Fars province is a gem in the constellation of historical monuments of Iran with over 3,500 registered sites; having been settled in different historical periods, the city has been the center of historic clashes which shaped the history of Iran or of cultural movements which shaped the literature of the country, with giants as Hafiz and Saadi which had been known in the west as pillars of Persian literature and culture.

Figures show that Fars province had been increasingly the destination of more and more tourists seeking the historical aura of the province and its center Shiraz. Official figures of Cultural Heritage Organization indicate that after JCPOA, the curve of foreign tourists coming to the province soared, flatting in 221 per cent of that before the deal.

The monuments in the province is rich in historical significance; Persepolis, Pasargadae, Eram Garden, etc., are destination for every tourists coming to the province. An international airport also provides the city the boon of being chosen as a regular destination. Mosayyeb Amiri, head of provincial Cultural Heritage Organization told Mehr News correspondent that roughly 350,000 tourists came to province since March 21 2016, with an increase of 221 per cent compared to that figure in the same time in 2015; “China, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain top the list of countries from where tourists come, with France with the largest number of tourists visiting province,” he said.

“Hafeziya, tomb of Hafiz, 14th century poet and sage, attracted over 1.33 million tourists, both domestic and foreign; this is the largest number of tourists a single monument could attract; Saadi tomb and garden is also a popular destination,” Amiri added.

“Diversity of historical monuments and an international airport make Shiraz stand out among historical centers of Iran; the city itself has many hotels with international caliber and accommodate foreign tourists,” said the official.

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FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Kish Island 3-Star 2017 wrapped up in Kish Island on Saturday evening, with Russia 1, Poland and Russia 2 standing at first, second and third places, respectively.

Russia’s Nikita Liamin/Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Poland’s Kantor/Losiak came up with straight-set wins over their rivals to progress to the final of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Kish Island 3-Star on Saturday.
Liamin/Krasilnikov outplayed Germany’s Lorenz Schumann/Julius Thole 2-0 (21-19, 21-15), while Kantor/Losiak overpowered Stoyanovskiy/Yarzutkin 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) in the semifinals.
Liamin/Krasilnikov’s slow start allowed Schumann/Thole to gain the early lead in the first set, but the Russian’s better performance down the stretch secured them the set-win at 21-19. The Russian pair kept their pace and capitalised on the German’s missed attacks to seal set and match victory at 21-15.

Kantor/Losiak took control early on in the match, while Stoyanovski/Yarzutkin struggled on their attacks. Kantor mounted several excellent blocks, which provided the Polish side to gain cushion and win both sets at 21-13 and 21-17.

Schumann/Thole can still earn their first-ever World Tour medal against last year’s Kish Island silver medallists Stoyanovskiy/Yarzutkin in the bronze medal match at 15:00 local time, while Liamin/Krasilnikov will play their first final together against last year’s bronze winners Kantor/Losiak at 16:00.

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A senior Oil Ministry official said Iran is boosting oil production by 90,000 barrel per day in line with last year’s OPEC agreement.

“We are increasing our oil output which will reach the designated production level,” Gholamreza Manouchehri, National Iranian Oil Company’s (NIOC) deputy head for engineering and development affairs told IRNA.

On November 30, 2016, the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) finalized an agreement to cut its overall production by 1.2 million barrels a day and set its new production ceiling at 32.5 million barrels a day as of January 2017.

The agreement, however, allowed Iran to raise production by 90,000 bpd to nearly four million barrels a day from January this year.

Manouchehri pointed to reports that Iran’s production ceiling has increased beyond the level set by OPEC saying the rise does not run counter to the terms of the agreement.

“Iran’s average oil production must only be below the level set by OPEC in a period of six months,” he added.

The November deal — the first in eight years — also granted Libya and Nigeria, which had seen their production drop due of armed conflict, an exemption from the cut.

Oil has rallied since November amid speculations that the supply cuts would boost prices. Some market analysts say that crude prices could reach $60-$70 a barrel in the coming months if the cuts are fully enforced.

Iran oil market upbeat

Since the lifting of sanctions began in January last year, the Islamic Republic has largely increased oil exports.

Speaking on the first anniversary of the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in a gathering in Tehran on January 16, First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri said that the exports of Iran’s oil and gas condensates are at their highest levels since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Tehran and the P5+1 — the US, Britain, France, China, Russia plus Germany — signed the nuclear accord known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on July 14, 2015.

Under the landmark deal, which went into force on January 16, 2016, the Islamic Republic undertook to place restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions against the country.

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Deputy Iranian oil minister said a daily average of 2.83 million barrels of crude oil and gas condensate were exported in the previous Iranian calendar month (ended December 20, 2016).

On the latest status of crude and gas condensate exports, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs Amir Hossein Zamaninia said the average figure for the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (began March 21, 2016) stood at about 2.570 thousand barrels per day.

The official noted that exports of crude and gas condensate climbed to over 2.83 million barrels per day in the earlier Iranian month (November 21-December 20, 2016); “in other words, Iran’s oil industry exports figure has experienced a twofold rise as compared to sanction years.”

He emphasized that following sanctions removal in the past year, oil sale revenues have been received smoothly from customers; “the country’s oil income in the nine-month period amounted to about 29 billion dollars while, in view of the recent oil freeze deal by OPEC members in Vienna, the figure is expected to increase further.”

Zamaninia noted that all sanctions against Iranian tankers had been cancelled underlining that “presently, Iranian oil tankers perceive no restriction for use of flags of different countries and purchase of parts and equipment is being done with ease and at lower costs both at home and abroad.”

He pointed to release of Iran’s blocked facilities in various foreign firms like Germany’s Siemens reiterating that “buying equipment from original manufacturers has significantly lowered the costs.”

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The rate of foreign investment has been increased by 42 percent during the past 12 months thanks to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an Iranian official said on Tuesday.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) known commonly as the Iran deal or Iran nuclear deal, is an international agreement on the nuclear program of Iran reached in Vienna on 14 July 2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany), and the European Union.

Managing Director of Central Securities Depository of Iran Mohammad-Reza Mohseni said over 264 foreign investment requests have been registered in the country during the period (stared on January 16, 2016) when Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union’s foreign policu chief Federica Mogherini announced in a joint statement the day of implementation of the landmark nuclear deal which was made by Iran and the world six major powers (the US, Britain, Russia, France and China plus Germany) in July 2015.

According to Mohseni the value of the foreign investments in Iran has also increased five folds during the post-JCPOA era.

The official noted that the implementation of the nuclear deal has paved the way for the presence of more foreign companies in Iran’s investment market.

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Iran’s deputy petroleum minister says Tehran’s total crude oil and condensate sales reached around $30 billion in the first 9 months of the current calendar Persian year which started on March 20.

“Iran’s crude and condensate exports surpassed 2.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in December 2016,” Amir Hossein Zamaninia said on Saturday.

Iran exported nearly 2.6 million bpd during the first 9 months of the current year, he added.

“In fact, Iran’s crude and condensate exports have been doubled following the implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” Zamaninia noted.

Iran’s crude and condensate exports surpassed 2.8 million bpd in December 2016 and exported nearly 2.6 million bpd during the first 9 months of the current Persian year.

In July 2015, Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council plus Germany clinched a deal following marathon talks.

Under the international agreement which was implemented in January 2016, Tehran agreed to put curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of unilateral sanctions.

In 2012, Iran’s energy sector was hit by the US-led sanctions, reducing the country’s crude exports from 2.5 million bpd to nearly 1 million barrels per day.

As a result of the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, Iran’s exports of crude oil and condensate dropped to their lowest level since 1986.

The sanctions also negatively affected investment in Iran’s oil sector, cutting crude production sharply.

OPEC output cut deal

The recent boost in Iran’s oil sales comes against a backdrop of efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other major crude exporters to contain global supply glut to prop up prices.

Back in December, OPEC clinched a historic deal with Russia and other non-members to slash global production by nearly 1.8 million barrels a day for six months starting January.

OPEC exempted key member Iran from cutting output, allowing the country to increase its crude production by 90,000 bpd to reach pre-sanction output levels of 4 million bpd.

Iran’s Deputy Petroleum Minister for International Affairs and Trading Amir Hossein Zamaninia pointed to the recent deal and said Iran’s oil revenues will further increase in a foreseeable future.

Iran is now pumping 3.7 million barrels of crude oil per day in the post-sanctions era.

Tehran seeks to regain its market share of pre-sanctions levels of 4 million bpd.

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Iran ‘s NIOC deputy head, while disavowing claims on disqualification of Russian oil giants, said the Iranian company will soon publish a second list of authorized applicants for investment.

Deputy Head of NIOC for Development and Engineering Affairs Gholamreza Manouchehri said “a list recently published by National Iranian Oil Company was relevant to applicants from Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, Japan, China and South Korea which had been qualified in Pre-Qualified Iran’s Oil and Gas Upstream Projects Tender Round.”

“Names of Lukoil and Gazprom from Russia were on the list,” highlighted the official asserting that a second list of qualified foreign companies will be soon released.

Manouchehri, while estimating that Russian firms, whose name were among qualified candidates, will be present in the second, underlined that NIOC has inked Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Russia’s Zarubezhneft and Tatneft both of whom were absent in the first published list.

“NIOC must have approved of all firms with which a cooperation agreement has been inked,” noted the official.

He further maintained that claims on disqualification of Russian firms reiterated that Iran welcomed cooperation with credible Russian parties who held new technologies.

National Iranian Oil Company has so far sealed MoUs with seven Russian oil giants for development projects or boosting recovery factor in various oil and gas fields.

Accordingly, research and development MoUs have been signed with Russian firms like Lukoil, Tatneft, Zarubezhneft and Gazprom for expansion of seven Iranian oilfields including Mansouri, Ab Teimour, Aban, West Paydar, Dehloran, Cheshmeh Khoshk and Chenguleh.

Accordingly, Russian firms enjoy the highest rate of cooperation in upstream sector of Iran’s oil and gas industry as compared with Asian or European companies.

Nevertheless, names of Russneft, Tatneft and Zarubezhneft were missing on the recently-published list by NIOC giving rise to hypotheses that the three Russian oil giants had been disqualified.

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