Iran

[Shahab3]

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Iran VP Stresses Boosting Iran's Ties With Turkey

Visiting Turkish Minister of Public Works and Housing Zeki Ergezen met yesterday with Iranian First-Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. Aref in the meeting underlined the need for bolstering Tehran-Ankara bonds in several fields including politics, economy and development.

He also alluded to the special status of Turkey in Iran's foreign policies. Turning to the investment of Turkish companies in diverse Iranian sectors such as commerce, industry and development, Aref asked for providing facilities for presence of Iranian enterprises in Turkish market.

Pointing to huge cooperative potential between the two countries, he said that Iran-Europe gas transfer through Turkey meets the common interests of both sides. Aref underlined the necessity of practical measures in order to implement those projects. Zeki Ergezen singled out Iran-Turkey historical and cultural commonalties and asked for promoting bilateral ties particularly in commerce and development.

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Iran-Turkey Trade Exchanges To Double

TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Iran-Turkey trade exchanges will double by the end of 2004, said visiting Turkish Minister of Public Works and Housing Zeki Ergezen here Sunday.

Speaking to IRNA, Ergezen who arrived here on Friday said that the volume of Tehran-Ankara trade exchanges will reach to $5 billion by the end of 1994.

The Iran-Turkey trade balance is in favor of Iran due to the purchase of Iranian natural gas by Ankara, said the Turkish minister.

In the past several years, he further noted, Ankara's imports from Iran doubled while its exports to the country only showed a 60 percent increase.
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Iran tourism project to rival Dubai

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran's top foreign investment decision-making body has given the green light to a 1.7 billion euro ($2.0 billion) luxury tourism project on the Gulf island of Kish designed to rival nearby tourism hotspot Dubai.

Islamic rules on women's dress and mingling of the sexes are less strictly enforced on Kish although women are still required to wear headscarves and cover their bodies when swimming, and alcohol consumption is banned.

The "Flower of the East" project -- the largest in the tourism sector since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution - reflects increasing efforts by the OPEC power to attract foreign money and diversify its economy away from staple oil.

Iran's economy recorded strong growth of 6.7 percent in the fiscal year to March 2004, down slightly from 7.4 percent last year. But economists fear the strong growth is largely due to high oil prices and could falter when prices fall.

"The Foreign Investment Committee studied and ratified the proposal of a German company for the construction of a tourism, recreational and residential complex in Kish Island," the Economic Hayat-e No daily reported on Thursday.
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Hundreds of Iranians hold a march against child labor in Tehran

Tehran, June 13, IRNA -- Hundreds of people gathered in the Laleh Park downtown Tehran to demonstrate against the exploitation of minors on the World Day against Child Labor.

Member of the directorial board of the association for supporting working children Qasem Hosseini told IRNA that this was the first such event against the child labor in Iran.

Hosseini said the figures and statistics on the children at work are so high that the government can no longer ignore this great challenge.

The ralliers, most of them women and children, issued a resolution in condemnation of the child labor and the situation giving rise to the child labor.

The resolution called for providing employment assurance for the families of the working children.
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