TEHRAN – An official from the union of Afghan businessmen and investors has called for investment by Iranian companies in this neighboring country’s infrastructural projects.

“Currently, Iranian companies can take part in Afghanistan’s power plant construction projects,” A. Farhang stated, adding that interested companies should offer their bids for the implementation of Afghanistan’s national power grid. “We have all our infrastructural projects defined by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank,” he noted. Iran is Afghanistan’s second major trading partner, according to Farhang. In the first seven months of the current Iranian year (March 21-October 22), Iran exported more than $228.44 million of goods to Afghanistan.

Khuzestan Steel Co. production drops 40%

AHVAZ, Khuzestan Prov. – In the past eight months of the current Iranian year (March 21-November 21), Khuzestan Steel Complex produced 1.5 million tons of steel, which showed 40% decrease compared to the same period last year.

The company registered export of 384,000 tons of steel, valued at $152 million, in the same period. This also showed 34% slump compared to the corresponding period last year. The low supply rate of steel billets at the international market was blamed for the reduction.

Iran’s unique tourism potential still untapped, admits CHTO official

TEHRAN – Although Iran enjoys some of the most distinctive geographical and climatic conditions, nothing has been done to promote the country’s tourist attractions, a tourism official from the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (CHTO) admitted Monday.

“Tourism will become a multibillion-dollar industry in the next 15 years, so we should do much more if we want to have a share in it,” he added, pointing to the long visa issuing process and poor welfare services for tourists as two of the main problems that ‘have been discouraging foreign tourists from visiting Iran in the past few years’.

National Olive Festival to be held in Tarom

ZANJAN – On the last day of November, the city of Tarom, located 90 kilometers from the provincial capital Zanjan, will host the National Olive Festival, ISNA reported on Monday.

Olive farming covers over 10,000 hectares in this northern city on which five olive species are grown. Tarom exports its olive to the Persian Gulf states of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, North America and Germany. Inside the country, Tehran, Qazvin, Hamedan, East and West Azarbaijan, Ardebil, Mazandaran, Gilan, Kordestan and Markazi provinces buy most of the city’s olive.

Malaysian delegation visits Mazandaran’s agricultural research center

SARI, Mazandaran Prov. – A group of Malaysian agriculture ministry officials and scholars from the Southeast Asian country’s Putra University toured a biotechnology research center in the township of Mahmudabad on Monday.

Malaysia aims to get access to Iran’s experience in agricultural projects and to sign related agreements to develop bilateral agricultural cooperation. The group also plans to visit similar sites in Tehran, Golestan and Isfahan provinces.