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Rouhani vows to double non-oil export

22 May 2017 17:58 (UTC+04:00)
Rouhani vows to double non-oil export

By Trend

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani announced that his new government plans to double non-oil exports by 2022.

“My administration will do its best to eliminate the extreme poverty,” Rouhani, who was re-elected to the second term on May 19, said during his first presser in Tehran on May 22, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

Iran’s non-oil export (including gas condensate) was worth $43.93 billion during last fiscal year (ended March 20).

Rouhani said that if $240 billion is annually invested in the economy, including $20 billion of foreign funds that are to be attracted, creation of 950,000 new jobs per year is possible.

Annually one million young people reach working age, but the country’s unemployment rate was very high during the last decade. Iran needs a permanent 8-percent GDP growth to create one million new jobs annually.

According to the World Bank, Iranian economy bounced back sharply in 2016 at an estimated 6.4 percent, compared to the previous year.

However, the unemployment rate returned to a three-year high of 12.7 percent (or 3.3 million unemployed) in the second quarter of 2016 despite the high growth rate in this period.

The newly-elect president further spoke about ties with Washington, noting that the nuclear talks were the only successful U.S. engagement with the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. has used numerous measures against Iran in the past 40 years, all leading to failure, Rouhani said.

The United States has failed in all of its actions in the Middle East namely Afghanistan and Iraq, Rouhani said.

They achieved a relative success in nuclear talks, where they “negotiated with respect” with the representatives of the Iranian people, Rouhani added.

“We are still waiting for new US administration to be established in terms of positions, agenda and thoughts, so we can have a precise judgment,” Rouhani said while commenting about possible talks between Tehran and Washington under the Trump administration.

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