Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – October 20, 1996

[Mr. Marcial Beryl Ikel Sias], the Paraguayan ambassador came to present the credentials. As usual, formal negotiations were conducted with emphasis on the development of relations. [Mr. Seyyed Jaafar Hashemi], our new ambassador to the Czech Republic, came to say goodbye and get an opinion. He gave a report on the good situation of the Czech industries and the good cooperation, including the construction of the important sugarcane factories in Khuzestan. Mr. [Rasul] Zargar, the deputy minister [of construction] came. He asked for my opinion on the implementation of the new council law, which I agree with. The report on the performance of municipalities across the country in urban development and also the performance of the organization showed efforts to eliminate the damage caused by unexpected events, both of which are positive. In the case of councils, the problem is a legal provision that has allowed provincial authorities to impose taxes that can distort the central economic policies of the country. Although it has good effects for the development of the provinces.

[Mr. Hassan Almasi, Seyed Mahmoud Nourizadeh, Ahad Judi, Ebrahim Pirnemati, Seyed Motahar Kazemi and Fakhreddin Mousavi Nene Karan], the representatives of Ardabil province came. They raised demands for the trip we will have tomorrow to that province; Including connecting the province to the railway network and highways of the country. Statistics managers came in the evening. They gave a report on the readiness to conduct nationwide statistics in the country. I also spoke about the importance of statistics and the need for statistics to be up-to-date and their role in planning, and I asked people and institutions to accompany them.

We had the first meeting of the African Council to review the implementation methods of the agreements of my recent trip to six African countries; We made good decisions. The role of banks is important. Dr. Velayati, [Minister of Foreign Affairs] came and gave the report of his trip to Central Asia. He said, Russia is determined not to let the Taliban win in Afghanistan; They consider them to be the smooth road for the presence of America. He also forced the governments of Central Asia to act in harmony and justified Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which were not in harmony, and asked everyone to help the [Burhanuddin] Rabbani government, and Russia's policy is close to Iran's policy.

I was the guest of Ayatollah Khamenei last night. We talked about the situation in Afghanistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, the issue of presidential elections and the position of the Central Council of the Fighting Clergy and the Society of Teachers and other groups and the possibilities of the results, as well as the Expediency Council. I stayed the night in my office.