TEHRAN — Iran is conferring to renew its membership in the Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for 2007, deputy communication and information technology (CTI) minister for education said here on Tuesday.

Iran has already been the member of the ITU Council in 2002-2006 period, Kamal Mohamedpur said, noting, it is planning to renew its membership in the Council during ITU Plenipotentiary Conference slated for November. He added that a delegation headed by CTI Minister Mohammad Soleimani will attend the conference.

Plenipotentiary Conference is ITU top policy-making body which is held every four years. It elects members of the Council and adopts the union’s general policies.

Iran, India hopeful of finalization of energy deals

TEHRAN — Iran’s ambassador to India Siavash Zargar Yaqubi and Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora expressed hope on the finalization of Tehran-New Delhi energy contracts in the near future, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

During a meeting in New Delhi, the two sides exchanged views on negotiations underway on Iran’s LNG contract with India and the Peace Pipeline Project (Iran’s natural gas pipeline to India via Pakistan). They expressed hope that the deals would be finalized soon.

Deora said Iran-India cooperation in energy and industrial fields will turn them into close partners. According to him, India is determined to promote economic relations with Iran, and the negotiated deals will open new chapters in bilateral ties.

Tajikistan to host Iran’s first solo construction material exhibition late Oct.

TEHRAN — Iran will hold its first solo exhibition on construction materials in Dushanbe of Tajikistan late October, Adel Sangov, vice deputy of Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday.

The exhibition will be held as the result of an agreement reached by the chambers of commerce of Tajikistan and Iran’s Khorasan Razavi Province, he added.

The event is aimed at further introducing the Iranian producers of construction materials, given that Tajikistan supplies parts of its construction materials through imports from Iran, he explained.

Iran third walnut producer in world

KARAJ, Tehran Prov. — Iran stands third after U.S. and Turkey in walnut production, Ali-Asghar Zeinanlu, the head of the Institute for Horticulture Researches said on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, Iran possesses only 0.5 percent of the whole world’s walnut export, he added.

Non-standard methods of cultivation, mixture of low-quality and high-quality types of walnuts, and weak processing and packaging of the product are reasons behind low-level export, he explained.

The creation of new and modern gardens to produce walnuts with equal and high degree of quality is a proposed solution ahead to increase exports, he noted. For this purpose, Institute for Horticulture Researches will soon start conducting a research, he added.

IDRO prepared for privatization

TEHRAN — Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO) managing director said on Tuesday that the organization is adequately prepared to undergo privatization process.

The IDRO’s shares, worth at Rls.25 trillion, is ready to be offered to the private sector, Mehdi Mofidi told reporters.

He added that no change will be made in IDRO’s Articles of Association and ‘mission’ when it is privatized.

Iran has started a privatization move early July to downsize the government after a decree issued by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamanei.

Bushehr’s non-crude revenues up 68%

BUSHEHR — Iran’s southern province of Bushehr earned $91.4 million in custom revenues on non-oil exports in the first half of the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2006). The amount indicates 68% growth compared with the corresponding period last year, Customs Administration of Bushehr reported.

In this period, 1.5 million tons of non-oil commodities valued at $536 million were destined for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, and Italy. The exported goods indicated 28% and 121% growth in weight and value respectively compared with the corresponding period last year.

Industrial products, dried fruits, fruits and vegetables, stockbreeding, and aquatics were some of the exported goods.

Markazi Prov. exports over Rls.650b

ARAK, Markazi Prov. — The central province of Markazi exported nearly 100 million kilograms of goods valued at Rls.652 billion in the first six months of the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2006), the Customs Administration of the province reported on Tuesday.

Destined for 23 European and Asian countries, exported goods included crude, tar, glasses, edible oil, heavy ploy ethylene, aluminum sheets, ceramics, tiles, bicycles, and glue, the report indicated.

140 cities equipped with CNG stations

TEHRAN — Iran Fuel Conservation Organization (IFCO) reported on Tuesday that 140 cities are equipped with compressed natural gas (CNG) stations.

IFCO added that 170 more cities will be equipped with CNG stations in future.

Totally, 349 CNG stations have been or will be operated in urban areas, of which 221 are operated by governmental sector and 16 are managed by private sector.

CNG stations are being built across the country in line with the implementation of a plan to covert gasoline engines into dual-fuel users. FK/ML