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El anuncio es parte del acuerdo firmado en junio por ambas naciones durante la visita del dictador Maduro a Teherán
El régimen de Nicolás Maduro permitirá a Irán utilizar un millón de hectáreas del país caribeño para cultivo. Así lo confirmó el viceministro iraní para asunto económicos, quien destacó la cooperación de ambas naciones y su cada vez más sólida alianza.
Mohsen Kousheshtabar dijo que Venezuela proporcionó a Irán un millón de hectáreas de tierra de cultivo mientras el mundo se enfrenta a la escasez de reservas estratégicas.
“Definitivamente significa que el conocimiento técnico de estas empresas (iraníes) basadas en el conocimiento ha trascendido a nivel internacional”, dijo.
En junio, el dictador venezolano Nicolás Maduro visitó Irán donde mantuvo conversaciones con su homólogo iraní, Ebrahim Raisi. Ambas naciones firmaron un acuerdo de cooperación estratégica de 20 años “en todas las áreas”.
“Tenemos grandes frentes de cooperación entre Irán y Venezuela”, dijo Maduro en una rueda de prensa junto a Raisi. “A nivel energético, del petróleo, del gas, las refinerías, la petroquímica, a nivel financiero, a nivel de defensa”, resumió el venezolano.
“Un mapa de cooperación verdaderamente asombroso”, aseguró.
Por su parte, Raisi subrayó que las relaciones entre ambos países son “estratégicas” frente al “imperialismo”, en referencia a Estados Unidos. “La firma del documento de cooperación de 20 años es una muestra de la voluntad de las altas autoridades de ambos países para ampliar los lazos en diferentes áreas”, dijo Raisi.
El mandatario iraní afirmó que Venezuela ha mostrado “una perfecta resistencia ante las sanciones y amenazas del imperialismo”, unas “sanciones y las amenazas” que el pueblo de Irán ha sufrido “durante más de 40 años”.
En aquel momento, los políticos no entraron en los detalles del acuerdo, pero Maduro subrayó la cooperación para “consolidar la soberanía y la seguridad alimentaria de nuestros países”. Este anuncio sobre el uso del millón de hectáreas por parte de Irán parece ir en esa línea.
En mayo, el ministro de Petróleo de Irán, Javad Owji, se reunió con Maduro durante una visita oficial a Venezuela, que cuenta con las mayores reservas probadas de crudo del mundo. Owji también se reunió con su homólogo venezolano, Tareck El Aissami, para buscar soluciones a las sanciones económicas impuestas a ambos países por Estados Unidos.
En 2020, Venezuela recibió dos cargamentos de combustible y derivados de Irán para ayudar al país a hacer frente a la escasez. Irán es el tercer país que visita Maduro esta semana tras viajar a Turquía y Argelia.
Junto a Rusia, China, Cuba y Turquía, Irán es uno de los principales aliados del régimen de Venezuela. Y, al igual que Caracas, la teocracia también está sometida a duras sanciones por parte de Estados Unidos. Los relaciones bilaterales entre estos dos productores de petróleo ya eran estrechas durante los mandatos de Hugo Chávez y se han reforzado aún más con Maduro, su sucesor.
26/07/2022:
Maryam Sinaee
Un representante comercial en Teherán dijo que varios países han prohibido las importaciones de frutas y verduras iraníes debido al moho o al alto contenido de pesticidas.
Mostafa Daraeinejad, jefe de la asociación de frutas y verduras de Irán, dijo el viernes a la Agencia de Noticias Laborales de Irán (ILNA) que India, Rusia, Uzbekistán, los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Omán, Qatar y otros ya no aceptan algunos certificados emitidos por las organizaciones agrícolas de Irán y exigieron su se cumplan las propias normas.
Irán exportó $ 6.5 mil millones en productos agrícolas el año pasado. Se encuentra entre los diez principales productores de más de dos docenas de frutas y verduras, incluidos azafrán, manzanas, cítricos, sandías y otros melones, granadas, dátiles, pistachos y nueces.
Daraeinejad dijo que India estaba rechazando los permisos de importación de kiwi iraní después de descubrir que no cumplía con los estándares de seguridad. Irán ocupa el séptimo lugar en la producción mundial de kiwi, y la principal región productora exportó cerca de 60.000 toneladas métricas, por un valor de 95 millones de dólares en 2018.
Daraeinejad advirtió que Irán enfrentaba la amenaza de perder mercados agrícolas si el Ministerio de Agricultura no tomaba medidas inmediatas para elevar los estándares. Dijo que el asunto también debería preocupar a los consumidores nacionales ya que "los iraníes no merecen ingerir nitratos y otros residuos de pesticidas..."
En noviembre, Uzbekistán rechazó varios miles de toneladas de papas iraníes y pakistaníes debido a los altos niveles de pesticidas. Los importadores qataríes devolvieron en noviembre a Irán casi 588 palmeras datileras, por un valor de 136.000 dólares, importadas para revestir las calles en preparación para la Copa Mundial de Fútbol de 2022.
Hace unas semanas, Rusia prohibió las importaciones de algunos productos agrícolas iraníes. Según Reza Nourani, presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Productores Agropecuarios, se rechazó un gran cargamento de pimientos porque faltaban los certificados de niveles de residuos de plaguicidas. El sitio web Mashregh News afirmó el 1 de diciembre que “el lobby israelí” en Rusia estaba detrás de la medida para eliminar la competencia en el mercado de los pimientos israelíes.
Según la Organización de Aduanas de Irán, Irán exportó el año pasado $ 22 millones en pimientos a Rusia, que después de la imposición de sanciones de "máxima presión" de EE. UU. en 2018 se convirtió en uno de los principales destinos de las exportaciones de frutas y verduras de Irán. Los productos agrícolas representan más del 80 por ciento de las exportaciones de Irán a Rusia.
Aunque Irán produce una amplia variedad de productos agrícolas, el sector ha estado luchando contra sequías graves y suministros de agua inadecuados durante años . Al mismo tiempo, los ambientalistas argumentaron que el cultivo de sandías y pepinos, dos de las principales exportaciones de frutas y verduras de Irán, debería prohibirse en la mayoría de las áreas, ya que producir un kilo de sandía requiere un promedio de 300 litros de agua . Producir pollo, arroz y pan requiere aún más agua .
12/12/2021:
WHAT IS BEHIND THE IRANIAN - VENEZUELAN 20-YEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT?
Simon Anquetil
On June 11, 2022, Iran and Venezuela made a dramatic geopolitical move by signing a two-decade cooperation agreement. A cooperation agreement is a formal plan to strengthen political, economic, and diplomatic ties between two countries by helping each other develop their economies, showing international support, or sharing intelligence. Presidents Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela and Ebrahim Raisi from Iran claimed that their cooperation agreement was the natural outcome of their “common vision” and a landmark for future bilateral relations between their countries.
Similar economic and political motives led Iran and Venezuela to strengthen their ties to an unprecedented level. Both want to improve their economic well-being through bilateral cooperation. The regimes also seek to further legitimize their rule since they are both contested regimes at the international level. However, this 20-year cooperation agreement’s impact seems more symbolic than game-changing.
Iran and Venezuela try to find solutions to overcome sanctions
Iran and Venezuela shared many of the same economic motivations when working toward this agreement since they are hard-hit by sanctions implemented by the United States and its allies. The two countries face rising levels of inflation – Iran’s inflation rate attained 40 per cent last month – and poverty as consequences of the economic pressure imposed by foreign governments. For instance, more than 5 million Venezuelans left the country over the last few years because of lowering living standards. The Russian invasion of Ukraine also exacerbated Iran and Venezuela’s poor economic conditions because Russia is a primary economic partner of both countries, and the war altered the two countries’ balance of payments. Iran and Venezuela have sought to get around sanctions for years and recently intensified economic exchanges before agreeing on a specific plan. For example, Iran invested €100 million in a Venezuelan refinery last month.
The 20-year cooperation agreement is an opportunity for the states to develop their economies while getting around their respective embargos. Though they are two oil-rich countries whose economies heavily rely on oil revenue, the plan is an attempt to find long-term solutions to reliance on oil. The cooperation agreement does not solely aim to boost the two countries’ oil industry but encompasses various other sectors such as food, tourism, and military. For instance, the plan includes a direct weekly flight between the two capitals – Tehran and Caracas – starting July 18.
Two countries isolated on the global stage
Iran has been substantially isolated from world politics since the Islamic Revolution toppled US ally Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979. Venezuela saw its international support undermined when Hugo Chávez came to power in 1999, and this trend has accelerated since 2013 under the Nicolás Maduro presidency. Global political pressure on both countries has dramatically increased over the past few years because of former President Trump’s policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran and the governmental confusion in Venezuela when both Juan Guaidó, the president of Parliament, and President Maduro claimed to be the leader in 2019. The two regimes overcame several attempts to remove them from power, often helped by foreign governments, which made them quite fragile and suspicious.
The US has repeatedly shown support for Juan Guaidó many times, and President Trump even invited him to the White House on February 5, 2020. “President Trump Visits with the interim President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the White House“ by Shealah Craighead licensed under Public Domain Mark 1.0
Iran and Venezuela seek to protect themselves from domestic and international political discontent and to enhance their hold on power through this bilateral alliance. The economic linkages that the agreement creates are likely to be crucial for both regimes’ legitimacy since the economy is a great tool for boosting domestic support. Nonetheless, what is striking when looking at such a long-term geopolitical alliance is that these countries have little in common at the political level. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela promotes equality through socialist policies, while the Islamic Republic is a theocracy in which leaders rule in the name of god. One of their major common points is their fierce ideological and geopolitical rivalry with the US, and this tells us a lot about the political implications of the plan. The two regimes have also overcome popular criticism at home in recent years. For instance, Venezuela has seen various challenges against the Bolivarian Republic since 1999. The Islamic Republic experienced various waves of popular discontent since it gained power in 1979, its greatest domestic challenge was the massive Green Movement in 2009 which led to high levels of repression by the regime.
“Iranian people have repeatedly expressed discontent with the Islamic Republic like during the 2009 Green Movement” Protesters in Tehran, 16 June by Milad Avazbeigi licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
A symbolic cooperation agreement
Though the Iranian-Venezuelan 20-year cooperation agreement has broad goals to alter both countries’ economic, political, and geopolitical conjectures, this plan is unlikely to bring such change. Instead, it is more likely to sustain – or even worsen – the current political and economic marginalization Iran and Venezuela suffer from. The plan is doubtful to have a profound impact on the two countries for various reasons.
Even if Iran and Venezuela hope to get around international sanctions by strengthening their bilateral economic ties and developing their oil industry, the effects are likely to be very limited. The instability of the oil market coupled with the Russian invasion of Ukraine pushed oil prices to an almost all-time high. However, most world leaders still refuse to buy cheaper oil barrels from Venezuela over expensive oil sold by their Gulf states’ allies. Therefore, the current international oil crisis is an illustration of this because geopolitical mantras seem to prevail over economic change.
Economic moves aimed at boosting domestic consumption in both countries are also unlikely to bring economic change, and some of these decisions do not even have economic goals. For instance, starting in 2020, Iran opened several supermarkets selling Iranian products in Caracas, however, these Iranian exports will not find many customers in Venezuela, where more than 76 per cent of the people live in extreme poverty. This is the same issue for the direct flight line between Caracas and Tehran: both populations are now very poor and cannot afford such a long trip. Why did Iran open supermarkets in Venezuela if nobody will go shopping there? This measure is not driven by economic goals but rather political ones. Although most Venezuelan people do not have the money to buy Iranian goods, Iranian supermarkets in the streets of Caracas seem to be a signal of solidarity with the Venezuelan government, which attempts to disturb America’s hegemony in Latin America.
Iran and Venezuela are likely to further alienate themselves from international politics through this cooperation plan. They seem to prioritize fostering bilateral relations instead of multilateral cooperation with global leaders to diminish sanctions. This move makes dialogue with democracies more complicated and as well as the likelihood of reducing sanctions for them. However, the strategy seems unfruitful for Iran and Venezuela if we look at both countries’ economic and political situations for now. For instance, Iran decided to shut down 27 cameras of surveillance on its nuclear sites in early June, which raised criticism across the international community and led Western powers to refuse starting new negotiations over the easing of sanctions on Iran.
This cooperation agreement is a turning point not only for Iranian-Venezuelan bilateral cooperation but also for their future relations with foreign powers. The plan will shape both countries’ developmental trajectories. Nevertheless, we cannot be certain that the deal will benefit and not undermine Iran and Venezuela in the next few years.
Featured image: “President Rouhani in meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro” by Hossein Zohrevand is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Edited by Max Rosen
20/07/2022:
Maryam Sinaee
An Iranian official says that Venezuela has agreed to provide one million hectares of agricultural land for Iran’s overseas cultivation projects to secure food.
Announcing the agreement last week, Ali Rezvanizadeh said Venezuela can provide a better opportunity than Brazil and Russia for Iran’s overseas agricultural projects, including growing crops of soy beans and corn.
Tehran and Caracas last month announced a 20-year cooperation plan in the fields of oil, refining, petrochemicals, defense, tourism and culture, and agriculture during President Nikolas Maduro’s visit to Iran.
Details of the agricultural agreement have not been announced and it is not clear whether Caracas has agreed to the investment of the Iranian government or its private sector.
Masoud Daneshmand, former chairman of Iran Economy House, a private sector think tank, however, says Iranian investment in production of crops such as corn and soya beans in Venezuela is not economically viable due to the very long distance between the two countries and the high cost of transportation.
Experts say the biggest advantage of overseas cultivation for Iran is preserving its precious water resources. Iran’s agriculture uses around 85 percent of all available water resources. It would also potentially contribute to the country’s food secuirty, a great concern of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who has been an ardent promoter of agricultural self-sufficiency over the past three decades.
"Although there is shortage of water, God willing, the same amount of rainfall that our country has will be enough for [producing enough] to feed a population four times bigger than its current population and to make the country need less from others," he said in a speech in October 2000. In two other speeches in July and August 2001, Khamenei argued that self-sufficiency in basic products such as wheat and rice should be the main goal in agriculture.
Although Iran produces a wide variety of agricultural products, the sector has been battling with serious drought and inadequate water resources for years which has given rise to water tension in some areas.
According to Rezvanizadeh, Iran requires 7 million hectares of overseas agricultural land to ensure its food security, but Iranian investments have been on a much smaller scale so far.
The private sector investors are mainly driven by higher profit margins in their overseas cultivation projects. According to Rezanizadeh, of the 30 million tons of all agricultural products imported, only 7 percent comes from overseas cultivation projects. This includes investment in crops such as bananas and other exotic fruit which have a much higher profit margin than strategic crops such as wheat, corn, rice, and oilseeds.
Iran imports around 90 percent of all oilseeds such as rapeseed and soya beans and around 30 percent of the rice used in the country. The country is also a huge importer of corn and barley for animal feed.
Investment in overseas agricultural projects also requires financial measures such as bartering agreements to circumvent the obstacles in international banking resulting from US sanctions.
Some other countries, officials say, have agreed to provide agricultural land for Iranian projects on a much smaller scale. Russia recently offered to provide 100,000 hectares of for Iran’s projects, the official news agency (IRNA) reported Sunday. The report said this is only around 0.8 percent of all land under cultivation in Iran (12 million hectares).
The United States and China are among the countries with the most extensive overseas agricultural production. Iran’s southern neighbors, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have also invested heavily in agriculture in Africa and some Asian countries in the past decade.
10/07/2022:
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202207100700
Foreign Desk News
The government of Venezuela has allowed the Islamic Republic of Iran to use one million hectares of its farmland for cultivation, according to Iranian officials. The latest development from Tehran announced by the Iranian state-run outlet Tasnim News Agency, comea as the two countries recently signed a 20-year cooperation plan during President Nicolas Maduro’s visit to Iran, boosting bilateral ties through economic, scientific, agricultural, and military sectors.
Speaking to the Iranian state-run outlet, the Islamic Republic’s Deputy Interior Minister for Economic Affairs, Mohsen Kousheshtabar, highlighted the new value that the products and services provided by domestic-based companies would create in countries friendly with Iran. According to Kousheshtabar, the Venezuelan government has provided Iran with one million hectares for cultivation while the world is dealing with the shortage of strategic food reserves, given the Russian-Ukraine invasion. The Interior Minister stated that the regime’s extra-territorial cultivation operation reveals that Tehran has become capable of reaching elevated levels of scientific exchange other governments are reaching out to the Islamic Republic.
Last week, Iranian officials officially announced the agreement, stating that Venezuela can provide more opportunities than Brazil and Russia for Iranian overseas agricultural projects like growing crops of soybeans and corn. Some experts inside and outside Iran argue that Iranian investment in the production of crops like corn and soybeans in Venezuela is not economically viable because of the long distance between the two allies and the prohibitive cost of transportation.
Other experts say that one of the biggest advantages of overseas cultivation in Venezuela allows the Islamic Regime to preserve its water resources. According to reports, Iran’s agriculture uses around 85 percent of all available water resources, contributing to the country’s food insecurity, which has been a big concern for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Raisi, both of whom have advocated for agricultural self-sufficiency. In several state speeches, the Supreme Leader argued that Iran must become self-sufficient in producing wheat, rice, and other crops.
Foreign policy and national security analysts point out that this latest action by the Venezuelan government has allowed Iran to gain not just a presence in South America but put Iran closer to the United States’ southern border.
For the past several years, Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah have increased their presence in Venezuela, Columbia, Argentina, and other parts of South America, engaging in arms smuggling, terrorism, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and other activities.
In June, President Maduro, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met in Tehran to discuss how to grow the bilateral relationship between both governments. Both discussed issues, including how to help each other out as Western countries continue to sanction Iran and Venezuela. While both governments are ideologically opposite, the two rogue regimes share a common enemy in the U.S. Over the years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have engaged in economic transactions with Venezuela, transporting refinery material, oil, and military equipment.
While the international community has condemned Iran and Venezuela’s transactions, many have enacted little or no economic sanctions against the two countries, given that Western nations rely on oil exports from Iran and Venezuela. Currently, the U.S. is engaging with Iranian officials over the regime’s nuclear program, with American officials heavily considering granting Iran sanctions waivers on its oil economy.
As the economic and political situation in both countries continue to deteriorate and both regimes face protests from ordinary citizens, government officials in Iran and Venezuela hope that the new 20-year agreement and its measures will cure some of the growing economic problems. However, some experts argue that the latest development for Iran will only support those close to Raisi and Khamenei, providing the regime with added resources to stabilize itself.
28/0/2022:
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