T he 17th International Exhibition of Construction Industry is scheduled to be held in Tehran’s International Fairground from August 12 to 15, Mohammad Karimi, an official with Iran Chamber of Cooperatives, announced. Close to 890 companies from Iran and 390 foreign companies or their representatives from Turkey, China, Germany, Italy, Canada, Austria, Spain, Australia, the UK, Ukraine, Belgium, Portugal, Taiwan and Russia, to name a few, will be participating in the event to showcase their latest achievements and products in the field, IRNA reported. / financial tribune /

Iran can host one million health tourists, said Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei.

Addressing representatives of 32 countries in a meeting on medical tourism in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province, on Tuesday, Rabiei said, Iran’s most important feature in medical tourism is the low price it offers compared to those in other countries, IRNA reported.

Iran’s medical tourism, he noted, has other attractions as well, such as the country’s high security, experienced medical staff, spas, salt-water lakes, and mud therapy facilities.

In terms of its natural, climatic and historical attractions, Iran ranks tenth, fifth and fourth respectively in the world, he added.

Thanks to its geographical location, conditions in neighboring countries, reasonable prices and advanced medical facilities, Iran is gradually becoming a destination for health tourists from the region, especially from Muslim countries.

Hospitals in Iranian cities offer medical and healthcare services for foreign health tourists. Medical services in Iran are comparable with those offered in advanced countries. Geographical proximity as well as cultural and religious commonalities have turned Iran into one of the best and most economically attractive destinations for health tourists.

Iran has a highly educated workforce and is a local leader in scientific and health development. It is one of the top five countries in the world in biotech and nine out of 15 high-usage biotech molecules are produced in Iran.

Hence, the country has a great opportunity to attract health tourists from Muslim countries. For instance, the existence of mineral springs in many parts of the country makes it an ideal location for health tourism.

Other potential areas include fertility treatment, stem cell treatment, dialysis, heart surgery, cosmetic surgery and eye surgery. It also produces specialized medicines such as the anti-AIDS drug IMOD, and other high-tech drugs.

Foreign health tourists can be subdivided in two groups. The first includes those who travel from advanced countries to other parts of the world seeking high-level medical service at considerably lower prices.

The other group of health tourists are those who come from less advanced and less developed countries where medical services are not satisfactory and Iran can offer them greater health services at very reasonable prices.

About 30,000 health tourists come to Iran each year, in addition to some 200,000 health, fitness and spa tourists. / Iran daily /

Iran exported $412 million of fisheries in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), IRNA quoted Hassan Salehi, the head of Iran’s Fisheries Organization, as saying on Monday.

The country plans to increase the value of its fishery exports up to $450-$500 million by the end of the current calendar year (March 20, 2018), according to Isa Golshahi, Iran Fisheries Organization’s director general for quality improvement, processing, and market development.

Over 1.05 million tons of fisheries was produced in Iran during the past calendar year, Salehi had previously said, adding it played some significant role in creation of job and income in the rural areas.

The figure is planned to reach 1.100 million tons in the current year, the official said on Monday.

After the implementation of nuclear deal with world powers in January 2016, Iranian government has focused on development of domestic fishery industry to attract foreign investments and increase the country’s share of the international market, the head of Fisheries Organization said in February.

In this due, related negotiations have been done with some foreign countries such as France, Romania, Finland, Italy, China, Vietnam, Russia, and Thailand, he added.

M ore than 58.2 tons of saffron worth $78.58 million were exported to 50 countries during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22), registering a 25.3% and 22.9% growth in weight and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of last year. Spain, Australia, South Africa, Germany, the UAE, Italy, Bahrain, the UK, the US, Belgium, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Taiwan, Turkey, the Czech Republic, South Korea and China were among the main export destinations of Iranian saffron over the period. Iran is the world’s biggest saffron producer and accounts for more than 90% of the global production, ISNA reported. Close to 95% of Iranian saffron are grown in the two provinces of South Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi in northeastern Iran. “More than 172 tons of saffron worth $246.7 million were exported to 47 countries in the last Iranian year that ended on March 20,” Gholamreza Miri, chairman of Iran’s National Saffron Center, said. The figure showed a 32.3% rise in weight compared to the preceding year. / Financial tribune /

Iranian animated piece ‘Kelileh & Demneh’, directed by Alireza Tavakoli, has won Special Jury Award at the Children’s Fest section of 2017 Eurasia International Film Festival in Kazakhstan.

Directed by Alireza Tavakoli and produced by Zahra Hashemi, ‘Kalila and Dimna’ experienced its first international screening at the 13th Eurasia International Film Festival, considered as Kazakhstan’s most important cinematic event.

Kelileh and Demneh are two young jackals. The drama starts in the middle of a rainy night when the horrified owl pays a visit to the king of the jungle to report about the excessive hunting he had witnessed.

In the 2015 edition of the festival, highly-acclaimed Iranian actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya won Best Female Performance for ‘Nabat’.

The 13th edition Eurasia International Film Festival was held in Astana from July 22 through July 28. / Mehernews /

Iran exported $173 million worth of livestock feed in the last Iranian year that ended on March 20, 2017, registering a 33% increase compared with the year before, an official with the Agriculture Ministry said.

“The export destinations mainly included the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Oman, Turkey and Qatar,” Touraj Saremi was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency. /  Financial tribune /

National Iranian junior Greco-Roman squad picked three golds, one silver and one bronze to win their first ever title at the Junior Wrestling World Championships.

Held in Tampere of Finland on August 6-7, 2017, young Iranian wrestlers offered awe-inspiring athletic performances to secured a historical team title with a three golds, one silver and one bronze medal and a total of 58 points.

Persian wrestlers gained a five-point win over second-place Russia and claimed the first ever junior Greco-Roman team title for Iran. Turkey landed in the third position bettering the US rivals with gold and bronze medals and 38 points.

Three gold trophies of Iran were clinched by Pouya Dadmarz (50kg), Keramat Abdevali (60kg) and Amin Kavianinejad (66kg). Meanwhile, Arman Alizadeh settled for silver at 84-kilogram weight group and Amin Mirzazadeh stood on the third podium in 120kg category for Iran to become the champion with a total of 58 points.

Final team rankings for the top six teams are as follow:

1. Iran, 58 points (3 gold medals, 1 silver, 1 bronze)

2. Russia, 53 (1-1-3)

3. Turkey, 38 (1-0-1)

4. United States, 29 (1-1-0)

5. Kyrgyzstan, 28 (0-3-0)

6. Finland, 28 (0-0-2) / Meher news /

C lose to 16,660 tons of pistachio worth $173.66 million were exported from Iran to 56 countries, including the US, Ukraine, the UAE, Italy, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Turkey, Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, France, Poland, Sweden, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Thailand, Japan, Romania and Hong Kong, during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22).

The exports registered a 41.8% and 36.5% decline in weight and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of last year, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration figures were cited by the Persian daily Donya-e-Eqtesad.

“Iran supplies more than 50% of the world pistachio market,” deputy minister of industries, mining and trade, Mojtaba Khosrotaj said, adding that Iran’s main rival in pistachio production is the US state of California. / Financial tribune /

Iranian and Iraqi media officials in a meeting in Baghdad signed three memoranda of understanding to further expand bilateral relations.

The MoUs were finalized by Secretary for the Government High Council for Dissemination of Information Alireza Moezi and a group of Iraqi media officials in the Iraqi capital on Thursday.

The Iranian delegation, led by Moezi, visited various Iraqi TV channels and met a group of Iraqi media persons and head of their syndicate.

In separate meetings, the delegation met with Iraqi prime minister, president, vice president and a number of Iraqi religious, cultural and media persons.

The Iranian media delegation signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Iraqi media.

The signed MoU calls for exchange of media products, benefiting from each others’ capabilities, and establishment of a representative office.

In relevant remarks in late July, Deputy Health Minister Baqer Larijani reiterated that Iran is planning to build Iraq’s first ever foreign University of Medical Sciences.

“This project is being pursued in earnest by the educational department of Iran’s Ministry of Health in line with development of medical science education in Iraq,” Larijani said, noting that the general aspects of the plan had been approved during the previous visit of Iraqi minister of health to Iran.

He maintained that the two countries could expand cooperation on professor/student transfer program, as well as formation of joint scientific networks in the field of research and scientific production.

For his part, Muhammad Siraj, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Iraq, thanked Iranian minister of health and his deputy for their support in regard to the construction of the university, adding “we welcome any cooperation with Iran’s ministry of health considering the current state of Iraq and its various needs for development of healthcare.”

It was also decided that a joint committee comprised of officials from the ministries of health in both countries follow up on the implementation of the agreements reached at the meeting.

In relevant remarks earlier in July, Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Iraj Masjedi underlined that Iran and Iraq are the object of security conditions in each other, adding that Tehran is ready to help Baghdad with the reconstruction of Iraq.

Masjedi made the remarks in a meeting with Iraqi provincial officials of Babel city.

During the meeting, he stressed the fact that the security in Iran and Iraq is intertwined, adding, “We are honored to stand by the Iraqi government and people in the fight against the ISIL terrorist group.”

Masjedi extended his congratulations to the Iraqi people and government on Mosul liberation, saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran shares the happiness with Iraqis.

He pointed to launching reconstruction projects in Iraq, and said Iran will stand by the Iraqis to reconstruct the country. / Fars news /

The 6th International Urban Film Festival hosted by Tehran has announced winners in the international competition category.

The 2017 edition of International Urban Film Festival presented short and feature-length films, as well as documentaries and animations from Iran, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Spain, Austria, and dozens of other countries.

Affiliated to the Art and Culture Department of the Tehran Municipality, Iran’s 6th International Urban Film Festival ran from July 30 to August 5 in more than ten movie theaters across the Iranian capital.

The annual event aims to improve the quality of city life and urban culture, and protect and promote the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle.

Winners in the international competition category are:

Best Animation: ‘Servant’ by Farnoush Abedi, Iran

Best Short Documentary: ‘Vida’ by Daniel Yepez Brito, Colombia & Ecuador

Best Short Fiction: ‘Whole World for a Little World’ by Fabrice Bracq, France

Best Documentary: ‘Advantage’ by Mohammad Kart, Iran

Best Director for Feature Film: ‘Chronicle of a Passion’ by Fabrizio Cattani, Italy

Best Script: Ferrari by Kambuzia Partovi, Iran

Best Actress: Valeria Ciangottini for ‘Chronicle of a Passion’, Italy

Best Actor: Mohsen Tanabandeh for ‘Ferrari’, Iran

Best Technical Achievement: Dodo Mirando for ‘Inner Court’ by Ricardo Mehedff, Brazil

Best Fiction Film: ‘Chronicle of a Passion’ by Fabrizio Cattani, Italy

Special Jury Prize: Mohammad Kart for ‘Advantage’, Iran / Meher news /