Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) is going to cooperate with Jordan Railway Corporation (JRC) for developing railway infrastructure in the country and providing technical-engineering services as well as manufacturing fleet wagons, Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.

According to the Head of RAI, Saeed Rasouli, the two sides discussed the matter on the sidelines of the 23rd meeting of International Union of Railways (UIC) Regional Assembly for the Middle-East (RAME) which was held in Aqaba, Jordan on July 6.

“Our policy has always been tightening our relations with the International Union of Railways (UIC) members, as well as interaction with neighboring countries and expansion of our rail transit capacity, Rasouli told Mehr.

Mentioning a tripartite meeting which Iran, Iraq, Syria held in early July for discussing transportation cooperation, the official noted that such meetings are an indication of the importance that RAI is giving to international relations.

The official further noted that the UIC’s Middle East regional office is in Tehran, however the union holds meetings every six months in one of the member countries.

Rasouli was appointed as the first vice chairman of RAME during the union’s 23rd assembly.

In the event which was attended by senior officials from UIC, a number of issues such as approval of the results of 22nd meeting of RAME in Isfahan, report on the activities of International Union of Railways’ RAME Regional Office in Tehran, new activities for 2019, training needs of RAME members, determination of date and venue of the next RAME meeting, and financial issues were discussed.

A week before the RAME gathering, Iran, Iraq and Syria held a tripartite meeting in Tehran for discussing expansion of transportation cooperation among the three countries.

According to Rasouli, development of rail transport, increasing transit, development of exports and imports, and implementation of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway were among the topics discussed in the meeting.

In the meeting, Rasouli expressed Iran’s readiness for starting the construction operations of Shalamcheh-Basra railway, urging the Iraqi side to determine and introduce a representative company.

On the sidelines of the event, Rasouli told the press that a comprehensive tripartite document on rail transportation cooperation among the three countries was presented at the meeting, which was mainly focused on connecting the three sides through Shalamcheh-Basra railway.

The official further noted that establishing a railway link and creating transit corridors between the countries in the region are called for by high-ranking officials from all three sides.

Due to its strategic location, Iran has a privileged position which makes it potent for becoming a transit hub in the region.

Having several free trade zones, especially in the Persian Gulf region, the existence of a wide network of roads in the country, low prices for fuel and energy carriers in Iran, and a suitable rail transport network in the country are some of the country’s advantages.

Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE are members of UIC regional assembly for Middle East. / Tehran Times /

Indigenously-produced Mohajer-6 tactical and combat unmanned aerial vehicles were delivered to the drone fleet of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces on Wednesday.

Speaking at the ceremony, commander of drone unit at the Iranian Army Ground Forces, Brig. Gen. Hasannejad said the delivery of the Mohajer-6 combat drones would begin a new phase for an extensive use of drones in the Army Ground Forces’ operations.

“With the deployment of these unmanned aerial vehicles, any threat to the Iranian borders and even beyond the borders, will be identified, tracked down and removed before it could even take form,” Brig. Gen. Hasannejad stressed.

The drone has the capability to carry out surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and enjoys a wide operational range and wingspan with a high precision.

Other features, according to the commander of the drone unit, include “the ability to carry precision-guided projectiles, high tolerability in various weather conditions, and easy use in various geographical locations.”

Iran begun mass production of the indigenously-produced Mohajer-6 tactical and combat unmanned aerial vehicle back in February 2018.

Mohajer-6 is said to be the first UAV of the Mohajer family that is armed with a guided weapon system and is bigger than the other types of Mohajer family. /MNA/

Head of the Plan and Budget Organization Mohammad-Bagher Nobakht announced on Wednesday that by the end of the present Iranian year (March 20, 2020), some 988,000 job opportunities will be created by the government.

“Some 988,000 job opportunities will be created this year and the government has also creating jobs in rural and nomadic areas on agenda,” Nobakht said, “About $1.5 million has been allocated in this regard.”

As he informed, the government has also implemented eight major macroeconomic plans to activate domestic production sector.

“Renovation of dilapidated areas, agriculture sector, cultural heritage, industry and mining besides culture and art are the sectors in center of attention of the said eight programs,” as he described.

“The government tries to created 270,000 job opportunities in industry and mining sector,” he added. / MNA /

Iran is expected to “attract one million Chinese in the near future” through the visa waiver for Chinese tourists, according to a report.

Iran is hoping to attract up to one million Chinese tourists from next month in a bid to further strengthen its tourism industry.

Vali Teymouri, Iran’s deputy director for tourism affairs told the South China Morning Post that the Iranian government’s new visa waiver program for Chinese visitors – first announced in June – could be implemented as early as the end of this month.

Teymouri said Iran is expected to “attract one million Chinese in the near future” through the visa waiver, a significant increase on the more than 52,000 Chinese who visited the Middle East country in 2018.

“We believe that the two countries have had common cultural and trade communications for a long time. So we should facilitate and improve mutual collaborations, especially in the tourism industry,” he said.

In late June the Iranian government had passed a regulation to cancel visa formalities for Chinese nationals, at the suggestion of the country’s foreign ministry and the tourism agency, Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization. /MNA/

Three Iranian animated pieces, including ‘Son of the Sea’ by Abbas Jalali Yekta, are taking part at the 42nd edition of Elche International Independent Film Festival in Spain.

The 42nd edition of Elche International Independent Film Festival kicked off in Spain on Friday, with three short animated pieces from Iran participating at the event’s competition section.

The titles include ‘Son of the Sea’ by Abbas Jalali Yekta, ‘Eaten’ by Mohsen Rezapour, and ‘Sink’ by Mahboobeh Kalaee.

Elche is Spain’s 12th oldest film festival, and a contributor to Goya Awards – Spain’s main national annual film awards.

In 2017, Iranian short animated piece ‘The Servant’ scooped the Best Animation Award at 40th Elche International Independent Film Festival.

The festival will run until 26 July 2019. / MNA/

The 11th edition of the International Natural Stone Machinery and Technologies Fair (Iran Stone Expo 2019) opened in Tehran on Tuesday and will run to Friday (July 12).

The event, organized by Iran Stone Association, is hosting over 120 domestic and foreign stone companies.

The latest products and services in the fields of mineral and ornamental stone production, construction stone processing, stone mining, mineral extraction equipment, stone cutting devices, specialized machinery and related industries are being showcased at the expo.

The exhibition has been organized for introducing the domestic industry’s capabilities, boosting trade and technology transfer, as well as developing software, technical and engineering services.

Over 6,000 factories and 1,200 mines are engaged in stone business in Iran. Iran is home to 60 billion tons of proven mineral reserves with 68 varieties. The country is ranked 10th and 15th worldwide in terms of mineral variety and reserve volume respectively.

Iran Stone Expo is the country’s largest International Marble, Quarry, Machinery and Equipment Exhibition, held annually in July in Tehran. The fair is now the unique opportunity for sighting full range of Iranian Onyx, Marbles, Travertines, and Granites.

The 12th edition of the exhibition is scheduled to be held on October 8-11 in Tehran. /MNA/

A lineup of six movies went on screen at the 6th edition of the Iran Love and Peace Film Festival, which was held in Hiroshima from June 24 to 30.

“The Lost Strait” by Bahram Tavakkoli, “The 23” by Mehdi Jafari, “Leili Is with Me” by Kamal Tabrizi and “Don’t Be Embarrassed” by Reza Maqsudi were among the films, the organizers have announced.

“Istanbul Junction” by Mostafa Kiai and “Axing” by Behruz Shoeibi were also screened.

Moreover, Japanese anime “Junod” by Shinichiro Kimura was reviewed at the event.

An Iranian delegation composed of actors Parviz Parastui and Shabnam Moqaddami, directors Mehdi Jafari and Behruz Shoeibi and producer Habib Valinejad attended the festival to hold meetings and workshops.

The Iran Love and Peace Film Festival is dedicated to screening films about the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war and familiarizing the world with the injuries Iranian soldiers have suffered after the war and its consequences for the next generations.

Photo: Iranian and Japanese cineastes pose on the closing day of the 6th Iran Love and Peace Film Festival in Hiroshima, Japan on June 30, 2019.