Headlines in Iranian English-language dailies on Nov 15

According to Ashura News, quoted by IRNA news agency,

*** IRAN DAILY

-- IRGC in possession of modern naval technologies: Commander

The forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps have developed modern naval technologies, said the IRGC chief commander, adding they have managed to improve the quality of combat vessels.
In comments during a Sunday visit to a naval base in the northern Iranian province of Gilan, Major General Hossein Salami noted that the IRGC has expanded its capabilities in the sea and come into possession of modern naval technologies.

-- GECF ministerial meeting to be held Tuesday

The 23rd Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) will be held via a videoconference on Tuesday. At the meeting, the ministers of the GECF member states will select the secretary general of the forum from five candidates, Shana reported.
Five countries namely Iran, Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Libya and Nigeria have nominated their representatives to be selected as GECF secretary general. Issues related to the gas industry and related areas including economic and energy sustainability will be among the issues to be discussed during the meeting.

-- Historical Takab castle in NW Iran to be turned into an anthropological museum

A historical castle in Takab, in West Azarbaijan Province, will be turned into an anthropological museum, according to the northwestern province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department.
The Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department quoted Takab Governor Amir Sotudeh-far as saying that Sardar Afshar Castle will be turned into an anthropological museum to introduce the history of the region.

*** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL

-- Iran to Use Kyrgyzstan as Corridor to SCO Region

Iranian Minister of Transport and Urban Development Rostam Qassemi has held a meeting with Kyrgyzstan Minister of Economy and Commerce Daniyar Amangeldiev to discuss development of transport and transit ties and cooperation between the two countries.
Considering recent membership of Iran in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Iran can use Kyrgyzstan as a corridor to the countries in the SCO region and similarly Kyrgyzstan can access the Eastern and Southeastern countries via Iran, Qassemi said during the meeting.

-- Minister: Tajikistan, Iran Trade Volume Exchange Could Hit €500mn

Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Seyyed Ehsan Khandouzi in his meeting with Tajik ambassador to Iran Nizamuddin Zahedi emphasized that preliminary ground must be provided for enhancing bilateral economic trade level to €500 million.
During the meeting, the two sides explored avenues for enhancing bilateral relations especially after the historic visit of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi to Tajikistan as his first foreign tour.

-- Iran’s Shahrdari Sirjan Runner-Up at AFC Women’s Club Championship

Iranian women’s football team Shahrdari Sirjan became runners-up at the 2021 AFC Women’s Club Championship on Saturday. The Iranian team lost to Jordan’s Amman 2-1 in the final match. Goals by captain Maysa Jebarah and Shahnaz Jebreen secured Amman the title.
Amman conceded a penalty just before the halftime whistle after Fahimeh Arzani’s foul on Jebreen inside the box with Jbarah coolly finding the back of the net.

*** TEHRAN TIMES

-- Desertification intensifies: will management policies be revised?

While Iran is facing an intensified trend of desertification, desert greening operations should be carried out across more than one million hectares of land according to the Sixth National Development Plan (2016-2021), but the progress has been much less than projected.

In the meantime, experts have proposed solutions such as refraining from improper dam construction and reforming water and soil management policies.

-- Iranian, German archaeologists discuss further cooperation

Panels of Iranian and German archaeologists and cultural heritage experts on Saturday discussed ways to expand cooperation in the realm of ancient mining. Archaeologists from the Ruhr University Bochum exchanged views with Iranian counterparts to conduct further studies/excavations at Chehrabad Salt Mine of Zanjan, CHTN quoted provincial tourism chief Amir Arjmand as saying on Sunday.

The experts met in Zanjan, whose ancient salt mine has so far yielded several salt mummies, personal belongings, and tools from the early 1990s onwards.

-- 1,600 new industrial units established in Iran since late Mar.

The head of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) has said 1,600 new industrial units have been put into operation in industrial parks across Iran since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), ISNA reported.

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of two industrial units in Khorasan Razavi Province, Ali Rasoulian noted that the mentioned units have created jobs for over 30,000 people.