The Axis: Iran, Pakistan and China

[Vikrant]

It seems like a serious alliance is emerging between Iran, Pakistan and China. So I created this thread to monitor all the activity on this front. What do these three countries have in common as far as their national interests are concerned? I think they feel isolated from mainstream world. This brings them closer. Another question arises: will Russia join them?

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Iran, China sign new oil contract

TEHRAN, Aug. 31 (MNA) – Deputy oil minister, while pointing to CNPCI’s return to Masjed Soleiman, said the Chinese side will make necessary modifications to developmental project of the field.
Ali Kardor described the deal between National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and China National Petroleum Corporation International (CNPCI) saying “a delegation comprising directors of the Chinese company have recently visited Iran holding talks with NIOC officials.”

He noted that CNPCI has agreed to carry out technical corrections for development of the northern wing of Masjed Soleiman, a project which will soon be launched.

In response to the question if a new deal has been signed with CNPCI, Kardor asserted “the agreement was reached within the framework of earlier contracts though an MoU has been sealed for conducting new technical operations.”

“The first phase of cooperation with CNPCI pertains to the reform process for development of the Iranian field,” underlined the official adding “for the time being, NIOC is not after implementing a plan to increase oil recovery factor in Masjed Soleiman in collaboration with the Chinese side.”

Deputy Head of NIOC Gholamreza Manouchehri had previously reported on the visit to Beijing of an Iranian delegation to negotiate a deal to improve rate of recovery in Masjed Soleiman oil field; “CNPCI will resume accordingly its activity in the oil field for the second time after an unsuccessful interaction with NIOC when the latter had opposed the deal unilaterally.”

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Iran, China sign new oil contract

 

[Vikrant]

Iran, Pakistan agree to ditch dollar

Iran and Pakistan have signed an agreement to re-establish banking relationship and carry out trade transactions in local currencies.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan supervised the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Iran’s Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost in Islamabad, local media reported on Wednesday.

“The two sides agreed in principle to open banks accounts in their respective central banks for trade transactions in their local currencies,” an unnamed official at the Ministry of Commerce was quoted as saying.

They also agreed to take further steps toward promoting trade and investment ties and materialize a free trade agreement which the two countries have been considering for some time.

Pakistan is negotiating a deal to import 1,000 megawatts of electricity from Iran. Pakistan’s western cities near the border currently receive 100 megawatts of electricity from Iran.

Energy-starved Pakistan suffers about 12 hours of power cuts per day and is keen to import Iranian oil, gas, iron and steel.

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PressTV-Iran, Pakistan agree to ditch dollar

 

[Vikrant]

Pakistan, Iran sign MoU in step towards formal banking channels

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing in principle to open channels in their respective central banks for bilateral trade transactions.

The Ministry of Commerce – under the supervision of Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir – signed the MoU with the Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan. Additionally, the two sides agreed to materialise the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Iran.

“The two sides agreed in principle to open banks accounts in their respective central banks for trade transactions in their local currencies,” said a senior officer in the Ministry of Commerce, who was part of the Tuesday’s meeting.

The officer said that the two sides had also agreed to take further steps for bilateral trade and investment promotion including materialising the under-consideration FTA. He said that the Iranian side had returned the initial FTA draft with their input, which had earlier been handed over to the Iranian authorities.

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Pakistan, Iran sign MoU in step towards formal banking channels - The Express Tribune

 

[Vikrant]

China seals deals to award loans to Iran

Iran says it has signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with two major Chinese banks to provide loans for its key development projects.

The banks that will provide the loans to Iran are the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) and China Development Bank (CDB). The MoUs were signed during a visit to Beijing by the country’s Minister of Economy and Financial Affairs Ali Tayyebnia.

EXIM had already signed another basic agreement with Iran to finance a high-speed train service between Iran’s capital Tehran and Mashhad in the north-eastern province of Khorasan Razavi. The bank signed the agreement with Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development in January.

Tayyebnia arrived in Beijing on Monday at the head of a high-ranking delegation to participate in the 16th meeting of the Iran-China joint economic commission, which was held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Iranian minister later met China’s Vice Premier Wang Yang who urged Iran to take their bilateral cooperation to the next level.

"The two sides should…step up pragmatic cooperation in all sectors to push bilateral cooperation to a new high," Wang was quoted by the Xinhua news agency as saying in Beijing.

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PressTV-China seals deals to award loans to Iran

 

[Vikrant]

ISLAMABAD: After lifting sanction against Tehran, Pakistan’s federal cabinet is all set to approve re-establishing of banking relationship between Pakistan and Iran in its upcoming meeting.

Federal Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan said this in a meeting with Mehdi Honardoost, Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan. Areas of mutual interest and bilateral relations in the fields of commerce and trade came under discussion.

The ambassador said the two brotherly Islamic countries must focus on developing economic and trade ties as there are lots of grounds and avenues of cooperation in economic and trade spheres. “Both countries have larger population of young generation and enhancement of bilateral trade will help both the countries to create job opportunities for the youth,” said the ambassador.

The ambassador discussed the ways and means for further improving bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran. “Both the countries must work on developing long-term economic and trade policies and initiate interaction between the free trade zones and should have more exhibitions,” said the ambassador.

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Pakistan to soon approve banking ties with Iran

 

[Vikrant]

TEHRAN - Iran supports China's Belt and Road Initiatives as the revival of an ancient network of trade routes connecting the east to the west, a senior Iranian official said Saturday.

Ali Akbar Velayati, Head of the Strategic Research Center of Iran's Expediency Council, said Iran will play a crucial role in the new Silk Road plan, with its southeastern port city of Chabahar as a crucial juncture linking land routes to shipping lanes.

Iran and China have been enhancing efforts in recent months to boost cooperation in various areas, he said.

The Belt and Road Initiatives, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, refers to building a Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

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Iran supports China's Belt and Road Initiative: official - Business - Chinadaily.com.cn

 

[irosie91]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

 

[Vikrant]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

Russia so far has refused to join the axis but it looks like you want Russia to join the axis.

 

[irosie91]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

Russia so far has refused to join the axis but it looks like you want Russia to join the axis.

I will let you know if Russia asks my opinion

 

[Vikrant]

It looks like Iran and Pakistan are upping the ante.

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Iran interested in CPEC, energy supplies to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoust has said his country has the capability to help the development of the economy of Pakistan through energy supply and construction of roads, railways dams and others area.

He said that bilateral trade will get unprecedented boost after resolution of problems regarding banking which would disappear soon, said a press release here Friday.

He said in a meeting with President FPCCI Abdul Rauf Alam, VP FPCCI Zafar Bakhtwari, former presidents ICCI Khalid Jaweed, Ijaz Abbasi, Chairman Coordination FPCCI Malik Sohail and others were also present on the occasion.

Mehdi Honardoust said that Iran is interested to participate in the CPEC which is one of the greatest project in the history of the region.

Pakistani textiles, rice, surgical goods, sports goods and agricultural products are in great demand in Iran, he informed.

He claimed that Iranian gas is the cheapest, fastest and most dependable source of energy for Pakistan which should be initiated soon as Iran has completed its part of the pipeline by spending two billion dollars.

Many countries including China, India, Turkey, Japan and South Korea continued to buy energy from Iran during and after sanctions, he added.

President FPCCI Abdul Rauf Alam said that Pakistan and Iran has already decided to increase annual trade volumes between the two countries to $5 billion by 2021 for which efforts are needed.

He said that Pakistan can increase electricity imports from Iran for which Tehran must reduce the price to make it competitive and attractive.

He said that Pakistan can increase electricity imports from Iran and the brotherly country is ready to fulfil our requirements of electricity and natural gas for which Tehran must reduce the price.

“Additional land routes for trade on our border, trade exhibitions, industrial and agricultural cooperation and mutual recognition of standards will boost trade,” said President FPCCI.

Rauf Alam said that Gwadar and Chabahar Ports are not rivals but they would supplement each other making the region centre of maritime trade.-APP

Iran interested in CPEC, energy supplies to Pakistan: Envoy | SAMAA TV

 

[Vikrant]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

Russia so far has refused to join the axis but it looks like you want Russia to join the axis.

I will let you know if Russia asks my opinion

Russia does not need to ask for your opinion You have already given your opinion. It seems like you cannot wait for Russia to join the axis. Are you planning a party or something?

 

[Vikrant]

...

"China is cutting-edge in the development of subway and railway transportation. It always has great things to share with Iran," said Ghasemi, who was sent to China twice for training in 2007 and 2010.

"At the very beginning, we imported from China; then we learned to assemble; now, with China's help, things are getting more localized that we have our own production line," he told Xinhua.

Set up in 2003, the factory, now with some 960 Iranian workers and a Chinese team of about 30 people, can assemble 450 metro cars and 72 double-deck cars for intercity trains, and manufacture on its own 144 units of metro car-bodies, annually. The products are supplied to Tehran and other Iranian cities like Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan and Shiraz.

Metros are changing the daily life of Iranians. The Tehran Metro, for instance, carries some 4 to 5 million passengers per day. Five lines, all built by Chinese companies, are in service in the capital, and two more are under construction.

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China's metro tech takes Iran onto faster track - Business - Chinadaily.com.cn

 

[irosie91]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

Russia so far has refused to join the axis but it looks like you want Russia to join the axis.

I will let you know if Russia asks my opinion

Russia does not need to ask for your opinion You have already given your opinion. It seems like you cannot wait for Russia to join the axis. Are you planning a party or something?

you are clueless

 

[irosie91]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

Russia so far has refused to join the axis but it looks like you want Russia to join the axis.

I will let you know if Russia asks my opinion

Russia does not need to ask for your opinion You have already given your opinion. It seems like you cannot wait for Russia to join the axis. Are you planning a party or something?

vik throws BJP---under the bus-----WAAAYYY to go, vik

 

[Vikrant]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

Russia so far has refused to join the axis but it looks like you want Russia to join the axis.

I will let you know if Russia asks my opinion

Russia does not need to ask for your opinion You have already given your opinion. It seems like you cannot wait for Russia to join the axis. Are you planning a party or something?

vik throws BJP---under the bus-----WAAAYYY to go, vik

What strain is that? It got to be some real good stuff

 

[Vikrant]

iRosie,

Instead of bugging me, share your thought on The Axis. Does it have a potential? What is the ambition of The Axis?

 

[irosie91]

oh gee----VIK is finally CATCHING ON-----will Russia join--vik asked? ROFLMAO---------YUP vik---Russia will join and Iran will join and Syria (the assad Syria) will HAPPILY join.
*****THE AXIS***** (*

Russia so far has refused to join the axis but it looks like you want Russia to join the axis.

I will let you know if Russia asks my opinion

Russia does not need to ask for your opinion You have already given your opinion. It seems like you cannot wait for Russia to join the axis. Are you planning a party or something?

vik throws BJP---under the bus-----WAAAYYY to go, vik

What strain is that? It got to be some real good stuff

really great stuff ----bhang indicus

 

[irosie91]

iRosie,

Instead of bugging me, share your thought on The Axis. Does it have a potential? What is the ambition of The Axis?

thou art bugged? try some bhang indicus whilst the storm
clouds gather

 

[Vikrant]

iRosie,

Instead of bugging me, share your thought on The Axis. Does it have a potential? What is the ambition of The Axis?

thou art bugged? try some bhang indicus whilst the storm
clouds gather

Ok. So you do not know anything about The Axis I am surprised that there is indeed something that you do not know anything about.

 

[irosie91]

iRosie,

Instead of bugging me, share your thought on The Axis. Does it have a potential? What is the ambition of The Axis?

thou art bugged? try some bhang indicus whilst the storm
clouds gather

Ok. So you do not know anything about The Axis I am surprised that there is indeed something that you do not know anything about.

there is LOTS I do not know-----your comment seems to me to be snotty-----in the realm of innuendo. I conjecture, based
on history, that the developing ALLIANCE involving Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Syria is no damned good. It is an AXIS DO-OVER. As far as Iran and Pakistan is concerned----India is
something like France. I am concerned that my BHANG supply will dry up