NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Thursday, August 24, 2023
IRAN DAILY:
-- Spotlight on Expansion to Change Global Geopolitics:
The BRICS summit commenced in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, bringing together the leaders of the current members – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa with a significant focus on expanding the membership.
The discussions around potential new members are poised to reshape global dynamics, as BRICS continues to seek to push for a shift in global geopolitics with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling on the bloc of emerging markets to fasttrack a plan to expand its members at the summit in South Africa.
“I am glad to see growing enthusiasm from developing countries about participating in BRICS,” Xi said in a speech at the event on Wednesday, as his country leads a push to give the group more clout on the world stage, Bloomberg reported.
The bloc should “accelerate the BRICS expansion process to bring more countries into the BRICS family,” he added.
The BRICS club presents a potential to challenge the existing global order and the dominance of unipolarity.
Some 20 nations have formally applied to join the grouping – these are reported to include Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Egypt.
Iran is also among dozens of countries seeking membership in BRICS and has submitted a formal request to join the body. At least 40 countries have shown interest in becoming members, with 23 having submitted their applications.
Going into the summit, there was some disagreement over the plan, and how it should be executed. While South Africa and Russia backed the addition of new members, Brazil was worried about alienating the West.
Addressing the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi suggested several areas, -- including New Development Bank of BRICS – where the BRICS partners could cooperate and work together, Times of India reported.
“India fully supports the expansion of BRICS membership and we welcome moving forward based on consensus,” Modi said. Shortly after, Xi added that an expanded BRICS would “make global governance more equitable.”
Modi hoped that India’s proposal to make the African Union a permanent member of the G20 will be supported by BRICS member nations.
Modi welcomed the move to give special importance to countries of the Global South under the South African presidency of the BRICS and said “We wholeheartedly welcome the move to give special importance to countries of global south under South Africa’s BRICS presidency.”
“New Development Bank of BRICS playing important role in development of Global South,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also participated remotely in the three-day meeting of the bloc. He took multiple shots at the West on the opening day of an economic summit in South Africa, using a prerecorded speech that was aired on giant screens Tuesday to rail at what he called “illegitimate sanctions” on his country and threaten to cut off Ukraine’s grain exports permanently, AP reported.
The five BRICS countries are already home to 40% of the world’s population and responsible for more than 30% of global economic output, and more than 20 nations have applied to join, according to South African officials, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan planned to attend the summit.
The five current member countries will have to agree on the criteria for new members before any countries are admitted.
-- Pakistan’s PM declares resolve against terrorism:
Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has reaffirmed the country’s unyielding commitment to combat extremism and terrorism in the face of growing terrorism within the country’s borders.
Kakar’s resolute stance comes after a clash between security forces and terrorists in the tribal district of South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which resulted in the tragic loss of six soldiers.
Prime Minister Kakar’s message, delivered in the wake of this deadly encounter, emphasizes Pakistan’s refusal to surrender to the threats posed by terrorism, extremism, and intolerance.
He staunchly declared, “We will not surrender to extremism, terrorism, and intolerance under any circumstances. No matter what happens, we will fight.” This assertion reflects the sentiment that Pakistan’s battle against terrorism is not a mere fleeting endeavor but a sustained commitment.
The clash in South Waziristan, which claimed the lives of the brave soldiers, highlights the grave security challenges the nation faces. The outlawed Tehreek Taliban Pakistan and Daesh terrorists have been reported to have established roots within the country, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. The support of the Taliban rulers in Kabul has reportedly emboldened the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, according to Pakistan’s government and security agencies.
While Pakistan remains resolute in its fight against terrorism, it grapples not only with the security threats but economic hardships. The weakening economy, exacerbated by factors like the uncontrollable value of the dollar and the burden of IMF loans, has put additional strain on the country.
This economic instability has further underscored the urgency for Pakistan to tackle terrorism and create an environment conducive to growth and stability.
As the prime minister emphasizes Pakistan’s determination to stand firm against terrorism, his words reflect the sentiment of a nation unwilling to be cowed by threats to its peace and security.
With ongoing discussions about the way forward, the country remains committed to restoring order and prosperity within its borders.
-- Annual profit of state-run Iranian banks hits $1.4b: Minister:
Iranian Minister of Economy Ehsan Khandouzi announced on Wednesday that during the last Iranian year, which ended on March 20, except Bank Sepah, all state banks came out of the loss-making mode and posted a net profit of 70 trillion tomans ($1.4 billion).
Speaking on state TV, the minister said that one of the long-standing problems of the country’s financing system was that state banks were suffering from a lack of discipline and legality, IRNA reported.
He added that one of the important decisions of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi was on transformational measures in the financial field and state banks.
A total of 13 out of 30 banks in the country are under government management, the minister said, noting that except for Bank Sepah, which was affected by the effects of the merger, all other state banks were out of loss-making.
“Seven years ago, out of 13 state-owned banks, six lenders posted a total loss of 12 trillion tomans, a year later, nine banks had totally 28 trillion tomans of loss, while five years ago, 11 banks state-run lenders had a loss of 9 trillion tomans, as in the Iranian year of 1398 (ended March 2020), six banks had generated a loss of about 15 trillion tomans,” he added.
The minister went to say that in the Iranian year of 1399, five banks were quite successful with 14 trillion tomans of profit, but again in 1400, the profitability of banks decreased and we had four loss-making banks, namely, Bank Keshavarzi Iran, Tose’e Ta’avon Bank, Bank Melli Iran, and Bank Sepah.
The government’s efforts are on the issue of banking discipline and legality, avoiding non-returnable payments, paying according to the country’s standards, and reminding the bank managers to comply with the law.
-- Iran-China seven-month trade surpasses $8.5b:
Trade between Iran and China in the first seven months of the current year reached $8.54 billion, with China’s export of products to Iran accounting for $6 billion of it, China’s Customs Office reported.
Iran and China exchanged over $9.6 billion worth of products from January to July 2022, the report added, according to Tasnim news agency.
In the first seven months of 2023, China imported $2.54 billion worth of products from Iran, registering a 43 percent drop compared to last year’s corresponding period.
But China’s export of products to Iran in the first seven months of the current year reached $6 billion, showing a 17 percent growth compared to the same period last year.
China had exported $5.13 billion worth of products to Iran from January to July 2022. According to the report, the trade balance of the two countries in the period reached $3.46 billion in favor of China.
-- Qatar: Iran-US ...:
“The process of releasing billions of dollars from the assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which were illegally seized in South Korea by the United States for several years, has begun,” Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
“Iran has received the necessary assurances regarding America’s commitment to its obligations in this matter,” it added.
The deal has drawn criticism from some Republican politicians, with some of them expressing concern about it.
Three top House Republicans sent a letter to the Biden administration this week expressing “deep concern” about what they call potential threats to the US national security from an alleged agreement being kept under wraps between the US and Iran.
The Monday letter – signed by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik – criticizes the deal as dangerous for releasing $6 billion in frozen funds to Iran for the freeing of five American prisoners.
The letter also accuses the administration of reaching a secret nuclear understanding with Tehran in the agreement.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- Russia, Iran Reach New Defense Agreements:
The commander of the Iranian army’s ground force said here Wednesday Tehran and Moscow have reached new defense agreements, hailing the ever-growing military ties between the two countries.
Speaking at the end of his visit to Russia, Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari described the trip as “well-timed” and “fruitful.” The general said he and his Russian counterpart, General Oleg Salyukov, reached some agreements on boosting defense ties, including in the fight against terrorism.
-- BRICS Decides to Expand Developing Bloc:
Leaders of the BRICS bloc of leading developing countries have agreed mechanisms for considering new members, South Africa said on Wednesday, paving the way for dozens of interested nations to join the group which has pledged to champion the “Global South”.
Agreement on expansion could help lend global clout to BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - at a time when geopolitical polarization is spurring efforts to forge the bloc into a viable counterweight to the West.
More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say South African officials, and 22 have formally asked to be admitted.
They represent a disparate pool of potential candidates - from Iran to Argentina - motivated largely by a desire to level a global playing field many consider rigged against them and attracted by BRICS’ promise to rebalance the global order.
“The world is undergoing major shifts, division and regrouping ... it has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation,” said China’s President Xi Jinping, who has long pushed for the expansion of the BRICS group.
“Development is an inalienable right of all countries. It is not a privilege reserved for a few,” he told the summit earlier on Wednesday.
The block is home to about 40% of the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP.
Werner Hoyer, the head of European Investment Bank, warned the West on Wednesday it was in danger of losing confidence of the “Global South”, unless it urgently intensified its own support efforts for poorer countries.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke in favor of setting up a new common currency to be used between the BRICS members instead of the U.S. dollar.
“The decarbonization of our economies needs to be accompanied by dignified jobs, industrialization and green infrastructure and services for all,” he said.
He added that the BRICS New Development Bank in Shanghai, headed by former Brazilian president and ally of Lula, Dilma Rousseff, would be able to take on the challenge.
“The creation of a currency for transactions between the BRICS countries reduces our vulnerabilities,” Lula said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “We plan to hold the next BRICS summit in October 2024 in the city of Kazan.”
He announced that over 200 political, economic, and social events would be held under Russia’s BRICS presidency in the coming year.
-- Iran All Set to Join BRICS:
The Islamic Republic of Iran after formal endorsement of its membership by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) earlier this year is now poised to join another prestigious international body which has decided on a common currency to further reduce the role of the imposed US dollar on world countries.
President Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi last night flew to Johannesburg where host South Africa is holding the 15th BRICS summit which is being nervously watched by the US and its accomplice regimes in Western Europe where fears have become imminent of the approaching end of the stranglehold of the so-called G7 on world economies.
BRICS, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is expected to grant membership to Iran and some other countries to ensure free flow of international trade and economic cooperation outside the undue influence of Washington and its exploitative allies.
Tehran’s membership will be a big boost for both the Islamic Republic and BRICS itself, in view of Iran’s prime geographical location on the crossroads of Europe and Asia and close proximity to Africa in addition to serving as a vital bridge to international markets for the landlocked countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Washington is already wringing its hands in frustration but there is nothing Uncle Sam can do as its policy of global terrorism has clearly failed.
The theme of the current summit BRICS Summit in Johannesburg is “Partnership of Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.’
The Summit is expected to finalize the development of a new global financial network outside the influence of the US and Western Europe.
It should be recalled that on August 8, a conference titled “Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation” was held in Tehran, and attended by senior officials of several countries.
It is obvious why the US and partners fear the growing clout of BRICS whose present members account for 42 percent of the global population and about 27 percent of both the world’s land area and the world’s economy.
The bloc was founded in 2006 and is often seen as an alternative to Western political and economic hegemony.
President Raisi, who has already held talks with heads of BRICS founding members through phone and received assurance of support for Iran’s membership, will hold important talks in South Africa on the sidelines of the Summit.
He and his delegation will also hold talks on the growing expansion of ties with the host country which recently allowed the Iranian naval flotilla to dock at its ports during the round-the-world trip.
In short, the Iranian president’s visit, his second to Africa within a couple of months, will be a game changer.
-- Three Terrorists Captured in Iranshahr:
Police forces in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan have arrested a three-member terrorist team affiliated to the so-called Jaish al-Adl terrorist group in Iranshahr city.
The team sought to crease insecurity in the city and elsewhere in the province, but they were identified before carrying out any act of sabotage, a provincial police official said, noting that the terrorists were detained in a technical and complicated operation.
-- FM: Malaysia Never Recognizes Sanctions on Iran:
Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir has expressed his country’s opposition to U.S. sanctions on Iran, saying Kuala Lumpur will never recognize the cruel sanctions.
During a meeting with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi here, Zambry described the Islamic Republic as Malaysia’s “very important partner” in the region and the Muslim world.
He also hailed “positive” meetings with Iranian officials during his trip to Tehran on August 20-23.
Zambry further called for the development of bilateral relations, especially in the fields of agriculture, medicine, science, and technology.
Raisi, for his part, said that devising a long-term strategic cooperation plan between Iran and Malaysia will “open up new horizons” in bilateral ties.
He also expressed hope that the cooperation plan will lead to enhanced relations and economic exchanges.
The top Malaysian diplomat paid his first official visit to Iran since assuming office last December, upon an invitation by his Iranian counterpart, Hussein Amir-Abdollahian.
In a Monday meeting, Zambry and Amir-Abdollahian held talks about further improvement of Iran-Malaysia ties and some leading regional and international issues.
They further agreed to speed up the extradition of criminals and the exchange of prisoners.
The Iranian foreign minister said that a session of the Iran-Malaysia joint economic commission would convene in Tehran in the near future and its sub-committees would hold regular sessions to discuss consular, trade, economic, and cultural issues and the fight against terrorism.
He noted that diplomatic efforts are underway to organize visits by President Raisi to Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian prime minister to Tehran.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- “Victory is certainly yours,” Velayati tells resistance leaders:
Ali Akbar Velayati, the top advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has emphasized that the triumph belongs to the resistance forces as the Israeli regime is losing the battles. Velayati, who counsels Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on foreign matters, congratulated top resistance figures on the occasion of the recent triumphs of the local resistance movement. He made the comments on Wednesday during separate phone calls with Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas; Ziad al-Nakhala, secretary-general of the Palestinian resistance movement of Islamic Jihad; and Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of the Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah. Velayati characterized the victory as the fruit of “unity and solidarity” between the Palestinian organizations and Lebanon’s Hezbollah “We are very pleased with your recent victories, and hope for these victories to continue,” he told Haniyeh, describing victories as a source of pride for the Muslim world.
-- Release of Iran’s frozen funds is a rightful access not a favor:
The Washington Times on August 22 published an article titled “Biden’s dangerous oral nuclear agreement with Iran”. The article, written by Jed Babbin, a national security and foreign affairs columnist, addresses the prisoner swap agreement between the U.S. and Iran that was reached on August 10 and poses a question about the silence of the White House about the issue. Babbin added more details about the prisoner swap agreement according to which Iran will be paid a “ransom” of $6 billion of its frozen funds; instead, Iran will dilute some of its 60-percent-enriched uranium. He labels the deal as a never-should-be-made deal since the diluted uranium can be enriched later. Relying on the European spy agencies, Babbin said, “Iran is increasing its covert acquisition of nuclear technology,” accusing Iran of “preparing the underground nuclear weapon test.” West has kept its alarm-raising policy regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Western officials and media outlets keep raising concerns about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. Moreover, the recent prisoner swap has also turned into a hot topic that in the eyes of Western media, especially the Washington Post’s August 22 article, is a great favor to release Iran’s frozen funds in South Korea, calling it a “ransom”. The proper answer to the article will be provided from various aspects: First, Babbin calls the release of Iran’s frozen funds “ransom,” which is Iran’s money that has been illegally blocked in other countries for several years due to the U.S. bullying policy. It is the right of every country to have access to its assets. Yet blocking the assets and their repayment under any agreement cannot be considered a ‘favor.’
-- BRICS does not want to be under U.S. thumb: American professor:
An American professor says BRICS does not to be “under the thumb of the U.S.” and believes that de-dollarization is a “crucial goal” that the BRICS countries are seeking. Hossein Askari, the Iran professor emeritus of international business and international affairs, also tells the Tehran Times that the main motivation of certain countries that are seeking to join BRICS is to “escape from U.S. and European economic and financial hegemony.” Following is the text of the interview: Can BRICS emerge as a strong counterweight to the Western economy? “Yes, but it will take enlightened economic and financial policies over many years if not a few decades, unparalleled political and economic cooperation.
-- Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in plane crash:
A plane reportedly carrying Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has crashed in the Tver region northwest of Moscow, Russia’s emergencies ministry said Wednesday. According to the ministry’s preliminary information, all 10 people on board the private Embraer Legacy jet were killed in the crash, which landed near the village of Kuzhenkino. Russia’s state aviation agency Rosaviatsia said an individual with Prigozhin’s name was one of the people on board, the state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.-
-- Tehran, Kuala Lumpur discuss expansion of agricultural ties:
Iranian Agriculture Minister Mohammad-Ali Nikbakht met and held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Zambry Abdul Kadir in Tehran on Wednesday to explore avenues of cooperation between the two countries in the agricultural sector. In this meeting, the two sides underlined the need for establishing a joint agricultural committee between Iran and Malaysia to follow up on the implementation of the agreements in this sector, Mehr News Agency reported. “Malaysia is one of the important countries of Asia and the Islamic world and plays an important role in Iran’s strategic policy in the West Asian region,” Nikbakht said in the meeting.
NOURNEWS