Iranian, Bolivian Officials Confer on Expansion of Cultural Ties

Fars News Agency- Iran and Bolivia announced their resolve to expand bilateral ties and mutual cooperation in cultural field. The issue was raised in a meeting between Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyed Mohammad Hosseini and his Bolivian counterpart Zulma Yugar Parraga here in Tehran.

"Our political and economic relations with Bolivia are so widespread but in terms of culture we have a lot of thing to do," Hosseini said at a press conference on the sidelines of Tehran’s 4th International Digital Media Fair and Festival.

"There is a great determination in the two sides to boost and expand relations," Hosseini noted.

"Considerable movies could be exchanged and we can set up cultural weeks," the Iranian minister noted.

The Bolivian Minister of Culture on her part said that utilization of digital media technology in a proper way and protection of families and children in cyber space makes Iranian works spectacular Continued...

Iran beats its gasoline production record

Press TV- Iran’s Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi says the country will add 30 million liters per day to its current gasoline production by the end of the Iranian year (March 20).As part of a self-sufficiency plan to boost the production of Iran’s major refineries and petrochemical plants, “three gasoline production projects will be put into operation by the year end which will subsequently increase the country’s current output to another 30 million liters per day,” SHANA quoted Mirkazemi as saying on Saturday.

Earlier, Iran announced that it has broken the record in gasoline production with an output of 66.5 million liters per day.
The Iranian official went on to say that currently 6 petrochemical plants are producing high quality gasoline in the country.

“This year Iran imported 7 million liters in June, 3.7 million liters in August and 0.8 million liters in September and currently the value stands at zero,” Mirkazemi further explained.
While Iran is the second-biggest crude oil producer in the Middle East, its limited refining capacity had forced it to depend on imports to meet the country’s domestic demand for gasoline.
Following the UN Security Council’s fourth round of sanctions on the Islamic Republic over its nuclear activities and the subsequent unilateral US-engineered measures that prohibited international companies from selling gasoline to Iran, an emergency plan was devised with the aim of boosting the country’s gasoline production and reaching self-sufficiency.

Hugo Chavez to arrive in Tehran on Monday

ILNA: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will arrive in Tehran on Monday for boosting relations and talks with Iranian officials.

 During his three-day visit, Chavez is scheduled to meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other senior Iranian officials.

His trip is aimed at strengthening Tehran-Caracas ties. Iran and Venezuela have extended great cooperation in recent years.

President Ahmadinejad and his Venezuelan counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding in Caracas in 2009 that comprised of 270 agreements on

.cooperation in the areas of agriculture, industry, technology, energy, fisheries and housing

President: Oil industry is proudest industry in country

IRNA – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called oil industry the proudest industry of the country and said Iranian experts, with their knowledge and science, are taking steps forward and creating honor for the nation.

In a ceremony to tribute 30 experts in the field of producing gasoline, President Ahmadinejad said Iran wishes to reach a point where countries which talked with us unwisely refer to us and make their demands and we meet their requests with our nobility and generosity.
He added that Iran has had oil industry for the past 100 years, but today we reached self-sufficiency in gasoline production and this is a great work.
Ahmadinejad continued that colonialist powers have dominated fully on world economy, science, technology, and industry for 100 years and have imposed colonial thoughts, under the name of science, on the world nations.
’They pretended that production and sale of gasoline is very important and used it as a threat against Iran and they thought that they could force nations to accept their wishes with these threats,’ said the president.
He added they still have the same ideas; they do not understand that world has changed and in confronting Iran they made a big mistake, because they forgot Iranians’ background and their actions caused awakening and reviving Iranians again.
Ahmadinejad called self-sufficiency in gasoline production as a great event in oil industry and said that the oil industry once again witnessed abilities of Iranian experts.
He added Iran spent forty thousand billion rials on different oil industry projects and managing such a huge amount is a great work.
Ahmadinejad told oil industry officials that self–sufficiency in gasoline production was the result of enemy threats and, with this threat, they shoul take one step forward and without paying attention to any new threats design projects upon national interests.

Borderline threat

Washington Post- THE UNITED STATES and its allies on the U.N. Security Council are patiently waiting for the Iranian government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to turn up in Geneva for new negotiations on its nuclear program -- or, at least, to formally respond to their offer. So it can’t be a good sign that Mr. Ahmadinejad chose instead to travel last week to southern Lebanon, where he offered a vivid demonstration of what is actually on his mind.

"The entire would should know that the Zionists will disappear," the Iranian leader said in a speech delivered within sight of Israel’s border. "Rest assured that occupied Palestine will be liberated from the filth of the occupation by the power of the resistance and the faith of the resistance." Continued…

Iraq’s Ayad Allawi Tells CNN Iran Funds, Directs Terrorism in Middle East

Bloomberg- Iran is trying to destabilize Iraq and its neighbors, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” program.

Allawi, a secular Shiite whose political party won the largest bloc in March 7 elections, said Iraq’s stalled political process and its faltering economy are breeding extremism, according to a transcript of the program, scheduled to be broadcast today.

Political paralysis has gripped Iraq since the election, with Allawi and incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki locked in a power struggle to amass the largest number of seats in parliament and gain the right to form a new government. Allawi has the backing of 130 members of the 325-seat assembly, compared with 132 for al-Maliki’s Shiite-led State of Law group, al-Sumaria television reported.

“We know Iran is trying to wreak havoc on the region and trying to destabilize the region by destabilizing Iraq and destabilizing Lebanon and destabilizing the Palestinian issue,” Allawi said. He said Iraq’s internal political situation contributes to an atmosphere that encourages further extremism.

EU to hold nuclear talk with Iran Nov 15-18

ILNA: Date and venue of 5+1 meeting with Iran over it’s nuclear program announced by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton spokesman announced

 "It is from 15th to 18th of November," spokesman Darren Ennis said, if possible in Vienna.

Tehran approved November talks in the Austrian capital on Thursday.”We have always said that dialogue on cooperation with the Islamic republic of Iran is the only option," top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili told state television.

Dialogue between Iran and the group of 5+1 nations which Ashton represents -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany -- has been stalled since October 1, 2009, when the two groups met in Geneva.

United Nations Security Council on June 9 imposed international economic sanctions, with the United States and EU taking separate measures -- all of which Tehran brushed off as having no impact.

Ahmadinejad hails petrol self-sufficiency

Tehran Times- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has downplayed sanctions against the country, saying threats made Iran move towards gasoline self-sufficiency.

""They (the enemies) wanted to threaten a great nation through imposing sanctions on gasoline and they thought they could impose their policies on our country,"" ISNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in a meeting with Iranian oil industry officials and experts on Saturday.

""Today we announce that we have reached self-sufficiency in the production of gasoline. It is a big event which displayed the capabilities of our experts both in the oil industry and in the international arena,"" he added.

He slammed arrogant powers for their dominance over the world’s economy, science and technology, saying, ""Arrogant countries do not know that the world

[equations] has changed. This is the reason they

Iran stresses Iraqi security, independence

ISNA-Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the country calls for Iraq’s stability, security and independence.
"We have always sided with Iraqi nation and government and supported stability and security of the country, we back Iraq’s and we hope the country’s National Alliance (INA) government is formed as soon as possible," Najjar told a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Jawad Kadhim al-Bulani in Tehran on Saturday.

He stressed Iran withholds no efforts for the goal.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stood by Iraqi nation and government in all international circles," he continued.

Iranian Interior Minister went on to say that, "formation of popular government in Iraq and withdrawal of foreign forces from the region are significant issues."

Jawad Kadhim al-Bulani on his part said, "Iran and Iraq are playing a leading role in regional matters."

He also stressed expansion of bilateral ties.