TEHRAN — The cabinet on Saturday agreed on holding the second international seminar of Iran gas export.

The cabinet approved holding the second international seminar on the country’s gas export, based on the proposal made by the Oil Ministry.

The seminar is due to be held by the National Iranian Gas Export Company out of the company’s credits in the national currency.

The first vice-president has notified the approval for implementation.

Quchan exports 13,000 tons of raisins

MASHHAD, Khorasan Razavi Prov. — Some 13,000 tons of raisins was exported from northwestern Quchan in Khorasan Razavi Province since beginning of the current Iranian year on March 21, 2005, Jalal Hashemi, governor of Quchan said on Saturday.

He added that export of this product has generated Forex revenues as much as $19.4 million for the country in the said period.

The product has been exported to Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, the Netherlands, Britain, and Canada. The Philippines, China, Romania, Malaysia, Germany, and Yugoslavia are the other customers of Quchan’s raisins, Hashemi noted.

Four breeding centers of decorative fishes commissioned in Ardebil

ARDEBIL — Qasem Jafarvand, director of Ardebil’s Fisheries Department on Saturday said that four centers for producing and breeding the decorative fishes have come on stream in Ardebil Province in this Iranian year (started March 21, 2005).

He further said that the department has spent Rls.800 million bank facilities to commission these centers.

He also noted that commissioning the aforesaid centers have generated six job opportunities.

Jafarvand predicts that 200,000 decorative fish are produced in the breeding centers of Ardebil Province and supplied to the markets in the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2005).

Six rural water projects to become operational in Isfahan

ISFAHAN — Six rural water supply projects are to come on stream in Isfahan Province on the occasion of the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations.

According to the report issued by the Public Relations Office of Rural Water and Sewage Company of Isfahan Province, the projects are to be commissioned at the cost of over Rls.4 billion.

Credits for implementation of these projects have been supplied out of the credits of the underdeveloped regions, and the credits allocated during Leader’s visit to the province.

The projects are to become operational in the villages of Zargham, Dorahan, Qareqach, Bardakan, Fat’habad, and Chigan.

Iran’s export to Iraq via Shalamcheh up $100m

TEHRAN — Export of the non-oil commodities to Iraq via Shalamcheh border hit over $100 million in the first ten months of the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2005), Assadollah Ahmadi Vanhari, the director general of Khorramshahr Customs Office announced on Saturday.

In the said period, over 408,000 tons of cargos valued at some $100 million have been exported to southern Iraq, he noted. The export value of these cargos indicates a 13 percent growth, he added.

The construction materials, the agriculture products and foodstuff are the goods mostly exported to Iraq, he further noted.

The director general put the whole value of export via Khorramshahr Customs Office at $174 million in the same period, stating, this has grown by 2 percent compare with the previous figure. Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the target countries of Khorramshahr’s exported goods, he added.

Woodworking show to kick off tomorrow

TEHRAN — The Exclusive Show of Wood Working Industry is to be held here from January 30 to February 3.

The show will exhibit the machineries, tools, and materials of the wood working industry.

All the machineries on exhibit will be fully running during the show. Moreover, the English speaking sales staff and technicians are present at the show.

Sponsored by Barin Group, the show is opened from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

BIPC one-month output attains 422,137 tons

AHVAZ, Khuzestan – Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex (BIPC) brought about 422,137 tons of petrochemicals in the month of Azar (ninth month in the Iranian calendar year from November 22-December 21).

This showed 19% growth in comparison with the same period last year. Basparan, a BIPC subsidiary, produced some 37,801 tons of polymer products in this period, corroborating 12.5% increase. Located in Mahshahr, BIPC is the largest petrochemical complex in Iran, producing more than 30 types of petrochemicals. The plant’s annual production now surpasses seven million tons.

Bahman Cultural Center to host candy quality festival

TEHRAN – Bahman Cultural Center will host the first festival on ‘quality in candy production’, which is to kick off on March 8.

The four-day festival is expected to attract a good number of visitors as it is scheduled right on Noruz eve (Iranian New Year holidays starting March 21). Ideh Pardazan-e Baher Company organizes the event and has planned to offer high quality Iranian candies to those visitors who will come to the festival to pack up for Noruz.

Large Iraqi trade delegation to attend Persian Gulf Expo

TEHRAN – A 24-member delegation of Iraqi trade officials will take part in the first Persian Gulf international trade exhibition, which opens at Tehran Permanent International Fairground on February 21.

The delegation is consisted of high-ranking officials from Iraq’s state and private sectors. The five-day expo will host companies from UK, Persian Gulf littoral states, France, China, Singapore, Canada, and Malaysia. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE have planned to dispatch their delegations to Tehran during the exhibition in order to discuss trade ties with Iran.

Non-coastal fish farming output to exceed 250,000 tons

TEHRAN – The total farmed fish production in the non-coastal provinces of Iran will reach 250,000 tons by the end of the Fourth Development Plan (2005-10), said head of Iran’s Fisheries Organization on Saturday. The number is estimated to total 760,000 tons in the coastal areas. “However, this should not be regarded as our maximum fish production capacity,” Nezami added, pointing to the country’s vast resources. “We have still a long way to become a farmed fish producer,” he said, “we need the help of Iranian and foreign fisheries experts to develop fish farming skills all across the country.”