Volume of goods handled by the IRISL has improved from 2.2 to 2.8 million tons in recent years.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11-A senior marine industry expert said here on Saturday that Iran is not planning to purchase vessels from Argentina, adding that the country is now involved in talks with China on the construction of six multipurpose vessels and container ships.
Captain Mohammad Roshan-Del told ILNA that Iran has started renovation of its marine fleet since the 1990s, stressing that the fleet has now reduced to 84 from 110 vessels, whereas the total volume of goods handled by the Islamic Republic of Iran's Shipping Lines (IRISL) has improved from 2.2 to 2.8 million tons in recent years.
He also said that the Islamic Countries' Ship Owners Association is based and operating in Tehran, adding that several Iranian private and state owners have also joined the Iranian Ships' Owners Association, which is also based in the capital.
He said an agreement has been reached with Germany for the construction of six container ships, one in Germany and the others in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
"The Persian Gulf Shipbuilding Complex and the IRISL have signed the so-called 5+1 contract with they German side," he said, adding that it would not be economical for Iran to assemble engine and other high-tech parts of vessels and that the country has to import these parts.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11-A senior advisor to the minister of welfare and social security said the ministry has proposed allocation of 1.5 trillion rials in state funds for nationwide rural insurance coverage.
Razzaq Sadeq told ISNA that the proposal would be presented to the government by mid-January 2005, stressing that the Khatami administration will have to approve the initiative before ratifying the budget for next year.
"In the first year of the project, 270,000 rural families, including an estimated 1.5 million individuals, would be insured," he said, expressing hope that rural insurance coverage would expand further in the following years.
The expert said the government will contribute to the payment of villagers' insurance fees, adding that the project has stipulated that all village dwellers living above the poverty line must be insured in the first two phases.
"In this project, it has been stipulated that the government must pay two-thirds and the villager one-third of the insurance fees," he said, adding that the mechanism is yet to be finalized.
It remains to be seen how the already troubled domestic insurance firms would react to this initiative given the government's huge debts to the state-controlled industry.
In Iran, the employee normally pays seven percent and the employer 23 percent of the 30 percent insurance fees, which is deducted from the salary each month.
Some 15 percent of the total amount is related to pension and work hazards.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11--Feasibility studies to construct a strategic railway line, linking Iran, Iraq and Syria, is currently underway but the executive operations will be started once stability returns to Iraq, a senior Roads and Transportations Ministry official said here on Saturday.
Director of Department of Economic and Investment Affairs of the ministry, Asghar Hamzei told ILNA that Iranian and Syrian sides are poised to begin the operations as soon as possible; but the chaotic situation in post-Saddam Iraq is a hindrance to the start of the project.
Syria will implement 100 kilometers of the line, he said.
Syria-Iraq part of the railway would certainly pass over the Euphrates River, the official noted, stressing that building a bridge on Euphrates River needs precise studies. Hamzei further stated that the Iranian route of the project is not yet finalized.
The government will choose the most economic among the various options before it, he said.
Hamzei ruled out the possibility that the railway would pass through Khorramshahr, one of the biggest ports in Iran located in Khuzestan province, following speculations that the new line would run from Tehran to Khorramshar to Baghdad and Al-Qaem, a town on the Iraqi-Syrian border, then on to Albukamal in Syria and finally Damascus.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11-Iran is expected to attract a total of $4.3 billion in foreign investments by March 2005 provided that contracts with giant Turkish companies TurkCell and Tav remain valid, a senior Foreign Ministry official said here on Saturday.
Ali Majedi, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, told ISNA that the country attracted $615 million in March 2002-2003 and $2.1 billion in March 2003-2004.
"This year, foreign investments would total $4.3 billion including agreements with the two Turkish firms," he said, adding that implementing giant projects in partnership with foreign firms would best serve national interests.
He also said that $107 billion worth of foreign investments was made in the Asia-Pacific region in 2003 with China accounting for 53 percent of the total amount.
The official further noted that if the multimillion-euro contracts with Turkish firms were to be annulled, it would send a bad signal to other foreign investors interested to participate in Iranian projects.
Majedi said the country has to boost its energy production at any cost.
"We would need to increase our hydrocarbon output even if we face difficulty selling such products on the international markets in the future," he said, adding that Iran is expected to export five-six billion dollars worth of petrochemicals by the end of the fourth development plan (2005-2010).

TEHRAN, Dec. 11-A senior Commerce Ministry official said here on Saturday that Europe's seven industrialized nations, or G7, could help ease the US's hostile approach towards Iran's WTO bid.
Deputy commerce minister for foreign trade, Mojtaba Khosrowtaj, told ISNA that the G7 has so far managed to resolve many international crises, stressing that Italy, Britain, France and Germany could create an atmosphere in which the United States would have to refrain from vetoing Iran's request.
He said, however, that the process of joining the World Trade Organization would take much time as it took China some 15 years to become a member.
"If the European Union effectively backs Iran's request for start of talks on its WTO entry and the US refuses to veto it, our international trading partners would also help facilitate this process," he said, adding that the European Union is Iran's largest trading partner.
Khosrowtaj, who also heads Iran Trade Promotion Organization, said the EU accounts for 30 percent of Iran's non-oil transactions at the international level.
Observers in Tehran are of the opinion that the upcoming meeting of the general council of the World Trade Organization would put to test the level of EU's commitment to the Paris agreement," in which the union offered a package of incentives, including support for WTO membership request, in return for Iran's suspension of its nuclear program.
The council meets on Dec. 13-14 to consider requests by Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran to join.
The US State Department said Tuesday it was backing Iraq and Afghanistan's bids to join the WTO, but there's no consensus on Iran.
This will be Iran's 20th request in eight years - all of which were rejected under political pressures from the US.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11-Trade with Singapore has reached $1.2 billion since March, Iran's ambassador to the Southeast Asian country said here on Saturday.
Mohammad Motallebi Shabestari told ILNA that Iran has exported various kinds of goods, most notably crude petroleum, oil products, minerals, dried fruits and nuts and Persian carpets to Singapore since March.
Singapore's exports to Iran mainly included industrial machinery, electrical equipment, computer parts and industrial and chemical raw materials in the same period.
"A country of four million, Singapore has a limited consumer market, whereas close to 7,000 major international firms are operating in that country which makes it a suitable venue for re-export of Iran-made goods," he said, stressing that the bilateral trade has progressed at a slow pace over the past 25 years.
The diplomat said Singaporean businesspersons are not familiar with trade opportunities in Iran.
He added that private Iranian companies are not operating in Singapore, stressing the need for the two countries' private sectors to embark on greater bilateral interactions.
Singapore imposed new restrictions on business visas for Iranian nationals following the September 11 terror attacks on the United States. The tiny state soon realized its blunder and now issues visas for Iranian nationals within five days from receiving their request.
Iran and Singapore signed on Friday a contract valued at one billion dollars for the sale of future petrochemical byproducts.
Managing Director of Iran Petrochemical Commercial Company Mohammad Ehtiyati told IRNA the contract provides for a five-year advance sale by Iran of byproducts of a giant energy project in the southern hydrocarbon-rich area of Assalouyeh.
The deal was signed in Singapore in the presence of the visiting Iranian commerce minister, his Singaporean counterpart and the Iranian ambassador to that country.
Ehtiyati said that the petrochemical production line of the company is to be launched in Assalouyeh next year and its products turned over to Singapore from 2006 to 2010.

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, Dec. 11--Tajik Minister of Economy and Commerce Hakim Salehov here on Saturday called for further expansion of economic cooperation with Iran, IRNA reported.
Addressing a joint Iran-Tajikistan economic meeting, he said over 80 industrial units have been closed down due to lack of capital, raw materials, skilled manpower and facilities. Iranian industrialists could help those units resume their activities, he added.
Referring to his country's agricultural potentials, he welcomed Iran's activities in that sector.
On telecommunication industries and information technology (IT) as other areas for Iran-Tajikistan joint cooperation, he said Tajikistan currently enjoys close cooperation with China and Russia and would also welcome cooperation with Iran.
Since the Islamic Republic has had good progress in the telecommunications sector in the recent years, Dushanbe is interested to benefit from experiences of Iranian expertise in the field, the Tajik minister remarked.
Enjoying identical language and culture, Iran and Tajikistan could closely cooperate in different areas, he added.
As to reforms made in Tajik foreign investment laws, he said there is no obstacle in the way of related activities in his country.
Meanwhile, a joint Iran-Tajikistan conference was held in the Tajik capital on Friday, attended by economic delegations, experts and industrialists from both countries.
During the one-day conference, ways of expansion of economic and trade cooperation between the two states were examined.
The meeting was attended by Tajikistan's ministers of economy, telecommunication and industries among other Tajik officials and tradesmen as well as a 152-member economic and trade delegation from Iran.
President Mohammad Khatami's visit to Tajikistan in late summer opened a new chapter in Iran-Tajik ties, while special focus was placed on joint economic activities.
Eight agreements on bilateral cooperation were inked between the two countries during Khatami's visit.

Ending wheat imports saved the country as much money as petrochemical exports made last year, which amounted to one billion dollars.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11-The official in charge of implementing the wheat self-sufficiency program said here on Saturday that wheat production would increase by 10 percent in the next crop year.
Mohammad Reza Eskandari, also a senior advisor to the agriculture Jihad minister, told ISNA the country would be capable of exporting wheat within the next four years provided that precipitation remains steady.
"We have not yet reached full production in certain areas including the southern province of Fars, which could increase production per hectare to five tons from the current 4.5 tons," he said, adding that the 'model farmer' selected in Fars has managed to produce 12 tons of wheat per hectare.
The official further noted that wheat production could help with the country's "political and economic independence".
Experts are of the opinion that wheat cultivation in Iran is economical in view of the low production costs.
In 2002, wheat production cost $100 per ton for Iran, whereas the same was $266 for the United States, which is one of the world's top wheat exporters.
The US government exports wheat to the international markets at $150 as part of its dumping policy.
While Iran has always enjoyed a huge potential for wheat production, it turned into the world's largest importer in the past years losing billions of dollars since the 1980s due to excessive wheat purchases.
But ending wheat imports saved the country as much money as petrochemical exports made last year, which amounted to one billion dollars.
Iran announced in November it was self-sufficient in wheat production after 45 years of importing the commodity.
The country produced 14 million tons of wheat, which is more than its average domestic consumption of 11 million tons in the current year.
Self-sufficiency in wheat production, President Mohammad Khatami said in a message, is the first step toward reaching the same goal in other agro products.
Iran imported about 10 million tons of wheat in 1998. It launched its wheat self-sufficiency drive in 2001.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11--Iran-China trade is expected to rake in 7 billion dollars by the end of the current year, an official of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce said here on Saturday.
Talking to IRNA, Ali Hamzeh-Nejad termed the current level of bilateral cooperation as "good," adding that bilateral trade stood at $5.6 billion in 2003.
He said that China's exports to Iran stood at $2 billion while its imports from Iran reached $3.6 billion in 2003.
Oil, petrochemical and mineral products, construction materials and foodstuff were among Iran's exports to China, he said, adding that clothing, home appliances, shoes, electric and electronic equipment were among its imports from China.
Referring to the growth of Tehran-Beijing relations, he said that annual commercial exchanges are expected to reach $10 billion at the end of the Fourth Economic Development Plan in 2010.
Hamzeh-Nejad said that the contract signed between officials of the two countries during the visit of Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh to Beijing in November proves their determination to bolster economic and trade cooperation.

TEHRAN, Dec. 11--The Japanese Inpex Company is negotiating with Australian BHV Company to develop the Azadegan oil field.
According to Petroenergy Information Network, Mehdi Hosseini, deputy-managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company said that the company is also negotiating with Total and both companies would probably take part in developing Azadegan.
"Inpex must choose its partner according to their qualification and international activities and the choice must be approved by the NIOC and also the Nico Company," he said.
Inpex is the main contractor for developing Azadegan oil field and first and second phases are to yield 260,000 barrels and 235 million cu. ft. gas per day.
Azadegan oil field is located 80 km west of Ahvaz across the common border with Iraq.