Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – February 28, 1997

I packed my suitcase early in the morning, and for the trip to Bushehr, we went to [Mehrabad] Airport. Mohsen and Mehdi were also with me. At seven-thirty we flew toward Bushehr. [Messrs. Gholam-Reza Aghazadeh, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh, Alireza Marandi, Akbar Torkan, Seyyed Mohammad Gharazi, and Gholam-Reza Forouzash]—the Ministers of Oil, Energy, Industries, Health, Roads, Telecommunications, and Construction Jihad—were with me. At Bushehr Airport, there was an official welcome and I gave a short interview. We immediately went to inaugurate the airport terminal and break ground for the terminal's expansion. On the way, the people gave a very warm welcome, and the women outnumbered the men.

For the inauguration of the telecommunications and postal projects, we went straight to the post building; 115 projects at a cost of 68 billion rials were inaugurated. Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Gharazi and the head of the [Post] Company gave reports. I too spoke about the importance of the telecommunications and communications industries and expressed appreciation for the large and extensive works of the Ministry [of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones]. A large crowd, instead of going to the stadium where the speech was to be held, had gathered around the building; I responded to their feelings and we went to the stadium. It took a while for the people to arrive.

The [Shahid Beheshti] Stadium was not very crowded on arrival. After the welcome of [Mr. Ebrahim Fazel Ferdowsi], the Friday Prayer Imam, and [Mr. Abdol-Rahman Nadimi Bushehri], the Governor-General, and [Mr. Mohammad Khajeh-Pour], the representative, two interesting anthems by two groups of martyrs' children and the student Basij, describing me and offering welcome, were performed. Then a poet [named Mr. Farzad Shoja], recited an eloquent poem in the local dialect, [beginning "Shad amadi tu var-e mun, ey Hashemi, ey Hashemi"], describing my government, which drew attention; he said he has composed poetry only for the Imam and Ayatollah Khamenei and me. Very interestingly, he has versified my construction, defense, political, and struggle services. I too gave a detailed speech on the historical honors of Bushehr and the province's present situation, past and future, and referred to the important construction works and important future projects and that this province, in the field of gas and the gas refinery and the oil export terminal and the nuclear power plant, has the largest in the country.

We went to the port. We inaugurated several development projects. Then we boarded the newly arrived passenger ship "Brilian" and, for the start of the ship's operation, we went to another point; it is modern, with a capacity of 237 passengers and 10 cars and 17 tons of cargo, and will commute between Bushehr and Qatar. They have bought it from Australia and have also acquired the technology to build it ourselves. On the way, we heard explanations about the ship.

We got off at the site of the Sadra shipbuilding industrial site. After the prayer, at the gathering place, we heard explanations about the industrial projects for building marine structures. The Minister of Industries and the Minister of Oil and Mr. [Gholam-Reza] Tajgardoun, the deputy of Mehdi [Hashemi] and the rapporteur, the managing director of Sadra and the manager of the marine oil region and the expert of the engineering and marine structures construction company that is under Mehdi's management, spoke.

They all spoke about the importance of this company's work. Truly they have done a great work and brought modern global macro-management to the country, and by gathering capable forces for the design and engineering of important marine and oil industries, such as platform construction, they have taken on the task and taken the monopoly away from the foreigners and

caused their oppressive prices to be broken. They all also spoke of Mehdi's courage and intelligence; I too was enjoying it. It is truly interesting that a young man has been able to carry out the management of a work that groups of high-ranking engineers have not done so far.

They showed the plans of the platforms of the Abu Dhar project; it is very huge. Then I too spoke in this regard and explained the precious achievements of this action, which has given us billions of dollars in savings and engineering power. I visited the platforms under construction.

Then I went to the new ship that [the Sadra Shipbuilding Company] has built. On the ship's deck, they had the lunch banquet and the operation began. We also saw the island that Sadra is preparing in the coastal waters for the development of the workshop; it is a necessary development. Because of the delay we had, I forwent the rest.

We flew by helicopters toward the shrimp farming site in the Genaveh district. From the air we saw the site, with the explanations of [Mr. Nadimi], the Governor-General, who said they fill it with a mixture of salt and fresh water and the constructed pools. At the site, Messrs. [Gholam-Reza] Forouzash, [Minister of Construction Jihad], and [Rasoul] Lahijianian, [Head of the Fisheries Organization], and the relevant managers gave explanations. They have brought a thousand hectares of land under the shrimp farming project, and on the province's other coasts, 40 thousand hectares have been designated for this purpose, and shrimp larvae production is also done right there. We heard complete explanations about the method of shrimp larvae production and shrimp farming and also saw the pools and canals. Each hectare costs about four million tomans and gives about six tons of shrimp in two harvests a year, which is very profitable, and this work is mainly entrusted to cooperatives with the government's cheap loans and the government's infrastructural assistance.

From there we flew toward the town of Deylam. We were supposed to go for the start of work of the project to transfer water from the Kowsar Dam to Bushehr and the [water transfer] line of Moharram; because of the delay and the danger of sunset for the helicopters, we gave it up. Mr. [Hamid] Mirzadeh, [Head of the Plan and Budget Organization], and Mr. [Rasoul] Zargar, [Development Deputy of the Minister of Interior], went in place of the delegation. Later they said that Mr. Zanganeh, [Minister of Energy], was upset that I did not go; he is right. A large crowd of the people of Genaveh had also gathered.

In Deylam, the people's gathering was very magnificent and enthusiastic. [Mr. Ali Elahi], the Friday Prayer Imam, offered his welcome and raised the requests. I too gave a short speech and praised the people and accepted the requests for customs independence and the dredging of the creek's mouth and gas supply.

We flew toward Bushehr. Finally, in the darkness, we reached Bushehr. At the airport, we said the sunset and evening prayers and went to the Faculty of Medical Sciences. I broke ground for the new building. Then the operation of the 200-bed Bushehr Hospital began with the unveiling of the plaque. After visiting the hospital, among the staff, we heard the report of [Mr. Marandi], the Minister of Health, [Mr. Amiri], the president of the University of Medical Sciences, and [Mr. Karbasian], the managing director of the Social Security Organization. I gave them an encouraging speech. Half of the hospital is covered by social security insurance.

We went to inaugurate the Refah chain store. After the report of Mr. [Abdol-Ali Ali] Asgari, [Managing Director of the Refah Company], I spoke and stated the goals of establishing the Refah stores. A large crowd had gathered around the store and were thanking; I responded to their feelings. For dinner we were guests of the Friday Prayer Imam in the suitable and spacious hall of the Mahdieh—beside the Musalla. I had paid for the construction of the hall. We went to the Governor-General's Office to rest. I wrote today's memoirs. I got the ten-thirty news [of Channel Two] and went to sleep.