Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 24, 1990

I went to my office. Due to the presence of Syrian guests in Iran, we did not plan to meet. I did the current work and saw the reports. With the threat of Iraq's two sides, today the price of oil has risen and exceeded forty dollars per barrel; This price is unprecedented in the last ten years.

Dr. Habibi, [first vice president] came. They talked about negotiations with Syrians and current affairs. Mohsen came in the afternoon. Report of a trip to Noug [Rafsanjan], to capture pistachios

gave Yasir collects pistachios in Kashkoiyeh. It was decided that Mehdi would go to complete Mohsen's work; He guesses that we have a total of 15 tons of pistachios in Noug and Kashkoyeh.

In the evening, the Syrian delegation came to meet for the second round. First we talked privately; More about Hafez Assad's meeting with Mr. [Syed Mohammad Baqer] Hakim and the issues of Iraqi opponents who are likely to be Saddam's alternative. In official negotiations, the talks were formal and complimentary. Then my deputies, Mr. [Masoud Roghani] Zanjani, [Deputy President and Head of the Program and Budget Organization] and [Hamid] Mirzadeh, [Executive Deputy President], signed the memorandums of understanding with the Syrian parties in our presence.

Mr. [Abdullah] Nouri, the [Minister of the Interior] arrived. He advised me to help the Guardian Council not to be strict in order to avoid conflict with the radicals; Mr. [Ahmad] Azari [Qomi] asked the opposite by phone.

At night, until eleven o'clock, we negotiated with the Syrians and had dinner. Regarding Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, gas and oil situation in Syria, various issues, the text of the joint statement, and the formation of the high cooperation coordination board, negotiations and decisions were made. Overall, the negotiations were friendly and accompanied by understanding. I came home late and slept.