Iran’s Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian said many EU states back Iran‘s $5b loan bid from the International Monetary Fund, adding that more serious efforts have been made for releasing country’s foreign exchange reserves in other countries.
Speaking in a live TV program, Nahavandian elaborated on the government’s relief package to help the poor families, small businesses and the private sector suffering from the economic consequences of coronavirus.
He referred to tourism and transportation as two sectors which have been damaged seriously after the outbreak of coronavirus, saying the businesses in tourism sector can see boom in summer.
He noted that the Government has requested one billion euro from National Development Fund of Iran to spend in the context of the relief package.
Stressing the significant position of Iran in IMF and Iranian membership in IMF’s board of directors, Nahavandian said that Iran has written official letter to IMF and it would be Iran’s legal right to enjoy the IMF emergency facility to deal with humanitarian tragedy in Iran.
IMF has earmarked special credit to help thwart the threat posed to international community by coronavirus pandemic and major states back Iranian $5 billion loan bid from IMF emergency facility, but, the US has violated the most primary moral and humanitarian principles, he said.
Some members of the IMF board of directors have taken positive stance toward Iran and some European States have supported Iran, he said, adding that Iran has considerable reserves in various countries but they have not yet been available due to the US sanctions.
President Hassan Rouhani said Wed. that the number of coronavirus cases in Iran is dropping, adding that his government has earmarked $10bn for businesses that have sustained loss due to the pandemic.
The Iranian president made the remarks at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Here are some excerpts from his address at the meeting:
The government and the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus have made very good decisions since the beginning, the first meeting I chaired these days dates back to February 25, when we held the first National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus meeting and decided on the Social Distancing program on that meeting.
Many tourist and entertainment centers were closed. Schools and universities were closed and the authorities’ invitation was well received. Today we saw the Minister of Roads and Urban Development announce that people’s travel by train decreased by 94 percent, buses by 75 percent, and airplane by 70 percent, and overall travel declined substantially in the first days of Nowruz.
We had an 80-percent reduction in Nowruz travel
On average, we had an 80-percent reduction in Nowruz travel in the first days of spring. In most provinces, passing the peak of the disease is also related to the first days of spring.
Although it was a very difficult task for all of us, these decisions were made for the health and well-being of the people, and when we saw that we had to be stricter, we made a decision on March 25 to assign the social-security committee to review the matter.
President at the session of Gov’t Economic Board for Examining the Effects of Coronavirus Outbreak: The fight against poverty as important as the fight against corona/ We will have no issues supplying the currency for health and basic goods until the end of the year/ The amount of basic goods in the country very promising/ Coronavirus a matter for all countries in the world/ Deciding on emptying 4 million tonnes of goods from customs
The same day we made the necessary decisions and announced to the public, we started the second phase of the Social Distancing program, which was stricter on the people but at the same time the people cooperated and we had a 30% reduction in travel.
Different countries have adopted different approaches to this issue. Of course, we used the experience of all countries, but we never limited ourselves to their approach. From the very early days that the virus began, some have been proposing to implement the Chinese model of quarantine.
I need to explain to people what Chinese quarantine means. The Chinese quarantine meant that all shops were shut down and all cars stopped moving and all doors closed, and no one had the right to leave the house and 24 hours of food was thrown into the house. This was a Chinese quarantine model in Wuhan. No one in the world liked this model and no one implemented it.
What our experts were looking for from the outset was a program designed for Iran and the Ministry of Health responsible for it, we implemented different programs step by step at different stages.
President Hassan Rouhani said Wed. that the number of coronavirus cases in Iran is dropping, adding that his government has earmarked $10bn for businesses that have sustained loss due to the pandemic.
We took the pessimistic approaches from the first days
With the help of doctors, nurses, medical staff who had been working since day one and made sacrifices, and saved our people, we took the pessimistic approaches from the first days and mobilized all facilities of the Armed Forces and called on them to bring 4,000 hospital beds. In total, we have 6,800 ICU beds, 4,000 of which are currently occupied, and the rest are empty.
These days, our production sector has done a great job of meeting the needs of both the hospital and the people. At this very cabinet meeting, the minister announced that the production of disinfectants has doubled in the past few days, with the private sector also adding to it.
Despite sanctions, hardships, and problems, we set aside about $10 billion to remove barriers to businesses that were in trouble. Part of that will be in loans, part in grants and part in packages paid to families and people in need.
With the help of doctors, nurses, medical staff who had been working since day one and made sacrifices, and saved our people, we took the pessimistic approaches from the first days and mobilized all facilities of the Armed Forces and called on them to bring 4,000 hospital beds.
The last thing I want to emphasize is the Americans’ malignancy. They imposed sanctions on us in these conditions for whatever reason. Their sanctions were wrong, cruel, incorrect and illegal. But still in this particular situation, which themselves know that coronavirus is not specific to one country and the world is almost interconnected, if 10 countries fight against coronavirus but one doesn’t, it will be spread twice as much and to twice as many countries. It is a global business.
It was the best historic opportunity for Americans to return from their wrong path and once again tell their nation that they are not against the Iranian people. They have always acted against the Iranian nation, but today their animosity towards the Iranian nation is more obvious.
Celebrating Women’s History Month (March 1-31), IMDb published a video on Twitter to take a look back at “cinematic history in salute of the pioneering women directors and their groundbreaking work,” the online entertainment database tweeted along the video that featured scenes of Bani-Etemad’s 2014 drama, Tales (Ghesseh-ha).
Born in Tehran in 1954, Bani-Etemad – who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in film studies from the Dramatic Arts University in Tehran – is widely considered as the most important female director in Iran, titled ‘First Lady of Iranian Cinema’.
Her movies and documentaries picture social and cultural issues and complications in modern-day Iran.
The Tales – which adopts an episodic narrative – portrays the fates of seven characters of Bani-Etemad’s previous flicks.
The film won the award for Best Screenplay (written by Bani-Etemad and Farid Mostafavi) at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.
It also brought Bani-Etemad the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award – dedicated to best film – at Kolkata International Film Festival in 2014, as well as the Special Jury Prize at Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia) in the same year.
Also featured in IMDb’s short video were the likes of Sofia Coppola, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Chinese-American film director Lulu Wang, Sarah Polley, and Barbra Streisand.
Rakhshan
Banietemad, born in 1954 Tehran, began to make documentaries for the
Iranian National Television in 1979, right after graduating from the
University of Dramatic Arts, Tehran. From 1979 to 1987 she focused on
making only documentaries. In 1987, she directed her first feature film Off the Limits. In 1991, she became the first woman recipient of the Best Director award for Nargess at Fajr International Film Festival in Iran. In 1995, she won the Bronze Leopard for The Blue Veiled at the Locarno Film Festival. Under the Skin of the City, her next film, was the highest grossing film in Iran in 2000. This film along with Gilaneh(2005) and Mainline(2006), garnered major awards in more than 50 film festivals.
While Banietemad’s feature films have
been acclaimed and honored worldwide, her documentaries have also been
successful and popular internationally. Our Times …,
was the first documentary ever to be released in the movie theatres in
Iran in 2002. It was also screened in highly prestigious and prominent
festivals and TV channels such as IDFA, Sundance Film Festival and ARTE.
Banietemad started her work by making
documentaries and has never ended the strong connection she has always
had with her works. Making documentaries have been her main way of
connecting with the society and social issues. Her approach and in
depicting social issues has been so strong and effective that her works
have always resulted in causing change in the lives of her
documentaries’ characters.
In 2008, she received an honorary
doctorate from University of London, in 2010, she was awarded the Prix
Henri Langlois from Vincennes International Film Festival. Her latest
feature film, Tales, was awarded the Best Screenplay prize in the main competition section of 2014 Venice International Film Festival.
More recently, she has joined the Academy Oscar, Writers branch in 2017.
Honorary Doctorate, University of London (Iran), 2008
Master Class, School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS (England), 2008
Master Class, Geneva University of Art & Design (ESBA), 2008
Jury Member, Cinema Verite Int’l FF (Iran), 2007
Jury Member, Women’s Film Festival (Iran), 2006
Jury Member, Asian Cinema, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2006
Jury Member, Art University Student Festival (Iran), 2005
Director, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2003
Jury Member, Asia Pacific Film Festival (Iran), 2003
Jury Member, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2002
Jury Member, Moscow Int’l FF (Russia), 2002
Jury Member, Cairo Int’l FF (Egypt), 2002
Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2001
Jury Member, Montreal Int’l FF (Canada), 2001
Jury Member, Youth Film Festival (Iran), 2001
Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1999
Jury Member, Leipzig Int’l FF (Germany), 1999
Jury Member, Tokyo Environmental Int’l FF, (Japan), 1998
Jury Member, New Delhi Int’l FF (India), 1998
Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1997
Jury Member, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss), 1996
Jury Member, Turin Int’l FF (Italy), 1995
Jury Member, Center for Iranian Film Directors (Iran), 1993
Jury Member, Roshd Film Festival (Iran), 1992
Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1990
KÂRÂ FILM STUDIO
KARA Film Studio is a name under which a group of professional Iranian filmmakers express their common concerns regarding humanistic, social and cultural issues through documentary films, while maintaining their own diverse and distinct vision. In KARA Film Studio, filmmakers in small or large numbers, gather together and, starting with an outline of a documentary project, complete the work in a professional manner.
KARA Film Studio operates under a number of principles: personal financing or financing through private sector; working as teams and in a workshop from development of an idea through to its completion and distribution; giving young and talented documentary filmmakers an opportunity to work with professionals and assistance with their development, due respect for the audience by maintaining high standards in the production phase, endeavor to provide improved and increased means of screening films inside and outside Iran; … Rakhshan Banietemad and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb are the constant participants in this group.
Iran’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi on Saturday expressed hope that efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for removal of US sanctions would be effective to save lives in Iran fighting coronavirus.
The Iranian diplomat told Iranian reporters based in the United Nations that Iran is unable to provide medical and emergency supplies and the best use of its medical capacities owing to the illegal sanctions imposed on the country.
Iran has called on the United Nations Secretary-General to take initiative for removing the sanctions as an international task, he said, adding that over eight states have recently sent a letter to the Secretary-General calling for lifting the sanctions, saying that the sanctions are in total disregard of the international law.
It is becoming evident that sanctions policy is a failed policy, he said noting that its supporters are in isolation.
Iran has called on the United Nations Secretary-General to take initiative for removing the sanctions as an international task.
The US administration says that trade on food, medicine, agricultural and medical products is excluded from sanctions; whereas, in practice, cut-off of SWIFT Interbank Telecom link of Central Bank of Iran has made impossible to open up Letters of Credit LCs for medical supplies and respiratory aids.
The outbreak of dangerous coronavirus (COVID-19) has been affecting the world for a number of months requiring collective campaign of the international community to thwart the threat posed to humanity by the pandemic.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message advised US to prevent a forever pandemic, saying coronavirus spares no nation.
“#Covid19 ravages the world, sparing no nation,” Zarif wrote in his Twitter account.
“Even the world’s largest economy needs others to help it fight the pandemic, yet refuses to halt its #EconomicTerrorism against Iran,” he added.
“Does the US want a “forever pandemic”?”
“Moral imperative to stop observing the bully’s sanctions,” Zarif reiterated.
Zarif made the remarks in reaction to President Trump telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday to ask if South Korea could send medical equipment to the U.S. to help combat the coronavirus.
Iranian Non-Governmental Organizations in a letter to the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres demanded the removal of the US anti-Iran sanctions.
In the letter, the organizations some of whom hold UN consultative status warned the world that the lives of Iranians has put in danger because of the US santions admid the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19.
Iran has decided to start clearing streets nationwide to fight coronavirus. The measure will be carried out by the country’s security forces.
In an edict to Major General Baqeri on Thursday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei emphasized the need for the establishment of a “health and treatment base” to prevent further spread of the ongoing epidemic in the country.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has issued an edict to Iran’s top general, emphasizing the need for the establishment of a “health and treatment base” to prevent further spread of an ongoing coronavirus epidemic in the country.
In his Thursday edict, which was addressed to Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, Ayatollah Khamenei first commended the services, which have been so far rendered to the people of Iran by the Armed Forces in their drive to hamper further spread of coronavirus.
Kianoush Jahanpour, the head of the public relations and information
center of the Iranian Ministry of Health, said Saturday the new
coronavirus has claimed 97 lives in the past 24 hours, taking the
overall death toll to 611.
Jahanpour added that 1,365 fresh cases have been added to the number
of the confirmed infections during the period, bringing the total to
12,729.
More than 4,300 of those with confirmed infections have recovered so far, he added.
Iranian medical staff cope with coronavirus with dancing
Iran asks IMF for $5bn in emergency funding to battle coronavirus as cases spike
Iran asks IMF for $5bn in emergency funding to battle coronavirus as cases spike
The Central Bank of Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for $5 billion emergency funding to fight a coronavirus pandemic as the number of infections keeps growing in the country.
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Abdulnaser Hemmati, governor of the Central Bank, said he had written to the IMF’s head, Kristalina Georgieva, last week to stress Iran’s “right to benefit from the fund’s $50-billion Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI).”
In the letter, the official highlighted the “widespread prevalence” of the virus — called COVID-19 — inside Iran and the need for the country to take measures to prevent further spread, treat the patients and counteract the economic aftermath of the disease.
“Given the size of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s quota in the fund, it calls for the use of the RFI fast financing facility of around $5 billion,” he added.
In a tweet on Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also called on the IMF to extend support to Iran, who is a member state of the Washington-based lender.
Zarif said the IMF managing director “has stated that countries affected by COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument. Our Central Bank requested access to this facility immediately.”
WHO: Iran doing its best in COVID-19 battle despite lack of equipment
Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) says the Islamic Republic of Iran is doing its best in fight against the novel coronavirus despite a lack of sufficient equipment and facilities mainly caused by the US sanctions.
“We know that Iran is doing its best, all it can … that’s what I appreciated,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday.
“They need lots of supplies, and … we have tried to support as much as we can, but there is still a shortage,” he added.
“We’re trying to mobilize more support for Iran,” Adhanom said.
The WHO chief’s remarks came a few hours after the Iranian Foreign Ministry slammed the United States for blocking the entry of foodstuffs and medicine into Iran through its unlawful sanctions.
Asked about the impact of US sanctions on Iran’s fight against the virus, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Wednesday, “The oppressive and illegal American sanctions, which [have been imposed on Iran] within the framework of the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign, have affected public welfare and health in Iran.”
“Although medicine and medical equipment should be exempt from the sanctions…the course of relevant transactions has been blocked,” he told media representatives via video-link on Wednesday. “However, they brazenly claim that medicine and foodstuffs are not subject to the sanctions,” the official added.
Three Iranian films garnered the most awards at the 38th Fajr Film Festival’s closing ceremony, held on February 11 in Tehran.
‘Butterfly Stroke’, directed by Mohammad Kart, brought the best supporting actress award for Tannaz Tabatabai’s role in Kart’s directorial debut which also brought Amir Aqaei the best supporting actor honor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7BVDrY4_sI
Shenaye Parvaneh ‘Butterfly Stroke’ , directed by Mohammad Kart
The best editor award went to Esmaeil Alizadeh. The film also received the best sound engineer, and audience choice award.
The film narrates the story of some ostracized people from poverty-stricken neighborhoods in Tehran. The people have to pretend to be strong if they want to survive the brutality of their environment, ifilmtv.com reported.
A number of top-rating Iranian actors such as Mohammad-Javad Ezzati, Tannaz Tabatabaei, Mahlaqa Baqeri, Pantea Bahram and Amir Aqaei star in the film.
‘Day Zero’, directed by Saeid Malekan, brought the best costume design award for Amir Malekpur and best special effects for Mohsen Ruzbehan.
Malekan’s film also received Best Film in the New Look section and the Special Jury Prize.
The Golden Simorgh for the Best Film, from the national point of view, also went to this movie.
The film is about Iran’s intelligence and police operations to arrest the Jundallah terrorist group founder and leader Abdul-Malik Rigi.
Iranian actors Amir Jadidi and Saeid Soheili play two lead roles in the project alongside a couple of international actors.
Khorshid, The Sun, Majid Majidi
‘The Sun’, Majid Majidi’s drama about child labor in Tehran, won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Film.
Majidi and his co-producer Amir Banan received their award during the closing ceremony of the festival organized at Tehran’s Milad Tower.
The film, co-written by Majidi and Nima Javidi, won the award for Best Screenplay.
The film also received the Best Set Design award for Keyvan Moqaddam.
A cast of Iran’s A-list film stars, including Ali Nassirian and Tannaz Tabatabaei, and some students of a special school for child workers in the slums of Tehran played roles in the movie. The group of child workers received honorable mentions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys00YFqZI9I
Majidi’s film narrates the story of a child who works in a tire graveyard and his mother is hospitalized because of mental illness. The deprived child who is living in a poor neighborhood is told by one of his neighbors that there is a treasure in the basement of his school. So the child, accompanied by his friends, gets involved in an adventure to find the treasure.
The 38th edition of the festival kicked off on February 1 and closed on February 11.
Since its establishment in 1982, the Fajr Film Festival has played a vital role in the development of Iranian cinema.
Supervised by Iran’s Culture Ministry, the festival hosts veteran directors and new filmmakers from Iran every year.
The international version of the festival will be held in April 2020.
Over 150 films apply for 38th Fajr Film Festival
Over 150 films apply to attend the 38th Fajr Film Festival in Iran.
Some 151 titles, including 115 feature films and 36 documentaries, have applied to take part at the 38th edition of the Fajr Film Festival in Iran.
As the deadline for entries came to an end, the Public Relations office of the Fajr Film Festival announced that 115 feature films and 36 documentaries filled out the application form to attend the event.
Some 37 movies made by first-time filmmakers are among the submitted feature films, according to the report.
Iran’s gross domestic product (GDP), excluding the oil sector, is expected to register a positive growth rate of 1.8 percent in the current Iranian year (to end March 19), the Majlis Research Center said in a report on Iran’s economy.
“Although due to the significant negative growth rate of the oil sector, economic growth in the country will continue to be negative in 1398 [the current Iranian calendar year] but oil-free economic growth is estimated at 1.8 percent for the year,” the report said, icana.ir reported.
The report put the growth for the country’s agriculture, industry, energy, construction, and the service sectors at 5.5 percent, 1.5 percent, and 10 percent, as well as 14.5 and 0.5 percent, respectively, for the current Iranian year.
Last week, the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) reported that the country’s non-oil gross domestic product has recorded a positive growth rate of 0.9 percent in the third quarter of the current year (September 23-December 21, 2019).
The overall GDP growth, including oil production, however, stood at -1.7 percent for the period, according to new data provided by the head of the Statistical Center of Iran, Javad Hosseinzadeh.
Economic growth in the first three quarters was minus 7.6 percent. By excluding oil, the figure stands at zero percent.
The sectors of agriculture, industry, mines, and services registered growth rates of 3.2 percent, minus 16.6 percent, and minus 0.2 percent, respectively, for the three quarters.
According to statistics released by Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), major Iranian steelmakers exported 675,000 tons of steel in the first month of 2020.
They also exported 5.88 million tons of finished and semi-finished steel in the first 10 months of the current Iranian year, to January 20, a 25-percent increase year-on-year, reported Press TV.
The figures did not include exports by Iran’s small private sector mills which like other Iranian producers send the bulk of their products to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Iranian steel mills are monitoring the global market for any gap from falling Chinese exports in the wake of a coronavirus epidemic.
China is the world’s largest steel exporter, but overseas orders for Chinese steel are reportedly declining. According to S&P Global Platts, Turkey, Iran and Russia are in a race to fill the gap in the market.
Iran’s industrial metals, specifically steel, are the latest target in the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign, but officials say the sector is unfazed and keeps growing.
In December, 2019, the US government launched the latest salvo in the campaign as it warned against exports of steel-making materials to Iran.
Iran exported 5.88 million tons of finished and semi-finished steel in the first 10 months of the current Iranian year, to January 20, a 25-percent increase year-on-year
The US Department of State cautioned that those involved in transfers or exports to Iran of graphite electrodes and needle coke, which are essential materials for Iran’s steel industry, were at risk of sanctions regardless of their nationality or location.
However, Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Rahmani put the damper on Washington’s haughty grandstanding, saying Iranian producers had obtained the technology to make graphite electrodes.
Iran is a leading producer of steel in the world, with officials saying exports continue despite the US sanctions.
The country plans to raise steel output to 55 million tons a year by 2025, of which 20 to 25 million tons would be earmarked for exports.
Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Jafar Serqini has said Iran currently has 35 million tons of steel production capacity. Iran’s steel exports will exceed 11 million tons this Iranian year.
Iran is speeding up efforts for development of the renewable energy sector as latest data show that electricity generation capacity from renewables has reached 841 megawatts (MW).
The Ministry of Energy said in a report that renewable power capacity in Iran had grown by five times since 2013, when the current government took office, reported Fars News Agency.
It said a total of 120-megawatt renewable power plants are active in Iran, including 55 solar farms that generate more than three terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity and 19 wind farms with around 2.6 TWh of capacity.
Total capacity from renewables, including hydroelectricity, biomass and thermal waste recycling, is expected to hit 1,000 MW by March, said the report.
Mahan 20 MW solar power plant, Kerman-Iran, 2017
Scientific studies suggest that Iran can increase electricity generation from renewables to 80,000 MW, of which around 80 percent can come from solar energy.
The Iranian government has defined a target of 4,000 MW for 2021 when its current term comes to an end. An umbrella development document stipulates that Iran should generate 5,000 MW of renewable power by March 2022.
Increase in renewable capacity can allow Iran to free up a significant amount of natural gas burnt in thermal power plants and feed it to export pipelines.
Iran is speeding up efforts for development of the renewable energy sector as latest data show that electricity generation capacity from renewables has reached 841 megawatts (MW).
Government estimates show that power plants consumed around 62 billion cubic meters of natural gas over the past Iranian year, ending in March 2019. That is nearly three times the current amount of gas exported from Iran.
