In a phone call on May 2nd 2016, “Sigmar Gabriel”, the German Minister of Economy and Energy informed “Ali Tayebnia“, The Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, that he won’t be able to travel to Iran due to his “illness”. He was supposed to visit IRAN as the head of a high-rank economic delegation in order to facilitate economic ties between the two countries. Although the mentioned delegation traveled to Iran and the negotiations were held as scheduled, but the Iranian media preferred to cover the South Korean President’s simultaneous trip to Iran and the relevant trade contracts that were signed. This article will analyze what happened as an experience gained in tackling the Iranian economic challenges and potentials beyond the Iran Nuclear Deal era (JCOPA).
Though, the news on Sigmar’s travel cancellation backed by an “apology” on the part of the German Government, received immediate coverage by the Iranian public Media, but, further news on German delegation’s meeting received no media attraction at all!
Needless to say that “apology” per se covers a wide range of connotationsh and is not simply used without due consideration by diplomatic officials in charge, it seems in all likelihood that the Germans derived benefit from the cancellation scenario as an objection or warning with political significance and the Iranians had no other alternative than publishing the news with an “apology” content from the German side. One may suppose that the word “apology” has been used intentionally by Iranian media instead of a simple “excuse” transferred on the phone from Germany!
The day after, when a dispute also flamed between the head of the German delegation (Uwe Beckmeyer) and the Iranian Ambassador to Berlin/Germany (Ali Majedi) during the “German-Iranian Business Forum”, the whole story called for a special attention ( http://goo.gl/V74Fy3 )
Faced with such a watered-down or misrepresented coverage of their Minister’s travel by the Iranian media, also eruption of the dispute in Tehran, German officials, too, demoted the encountering to their Deputy Minister level. On May 3rd, in an inconsiderate stance by “Uhbik Mir”, the German Deputy Minister of Economy, he conditioned the current and the upgrading of commercial ties with Iran, to Iran’s observation of human rights on a par with the international level and to waive from staunch refusal to recognize Israel entity.
Publication of “Uhbik Mir” statement, broke the silence of “Mohammad Khazaei”, the Iranian Deputy Minister of Economy with long diplomatic background in UN, and he retorted his German counterpart by terming the latter’s comment as derisive, warning “We will never allow any country to interfere in our foreign policy and interlink trade with political issues”.
These ping-pong talks, as revealed upon the conclusion of all contracts and closure of all meetings, denote to Iran’s strict sensitivity toward her foreign policy and principles of utmost importance both at the domestic and international levels and could be served as a lesson by the foreign governments as a red light never to run through in future.
This inconsiderate stance by the Germany is worth pondering about. As a matter of fact and a time-proven approach by all German cabinets since the end of World War II in 1945, economic issues have mainly mandated their foreign policy guidelines. Recent events in the Central & East Europe, especially in Ukraine, constitute a prominent argument in substantiation of this stance, whereas the reverse approach prevails in Iran, where, all and every economic interests are subject to political issues, to such extent, that the businessmen and even the Iranian media have on many an occasion been boycotted by the European businesses only for expressing some innocent comments.
The question of how important could be the matter to have prompted the German Deputy Minister to link the economic issues to those policies which the Islamic Republic of Iran is chronically sensitive to, in dire contrast to the routine guidelines of conduct followed in the course of the last 70-year German diplomacy, is the internal affair of our German friends. But, the necessity to evaluate this and other seemingly controversial issues dealing with the uncompromising and intransigent stance of IRI’s governments and its repercussions on the macro-economic relations of IR of Iran, are the subjects which stem from our country and nation’s interests and expediency on the one hand and our media (PIMI) commitment to warn the overseas economic institutions and private investors on the other.
Indeed, the literature used by the Iranian Deputy Minister in Economic Affairs and Finance is a token to the fact that despite President Hassan Rohani’s relentless endeavors to develop, with great magnanimity and multitude of refractory hardships, our all-out financial, economic and political relations at the international level, the tactless inattention by foreign officials (whose countries intend to foster long-term and mutually beneficial relations with Iran) to the IRI’s philosophies and strategically important issues could severely delay or terminate the development of such commercial ties.
The Editor’s survey of the outcome and the reasons of cancellation of Sigmar Gabriel’s travel and the way of its reflection by the German media at large as well as failure to broadcast the German Deputy Minister’s (Uhbik Mir) communiqué in the much-visited media are all tokens which point to the special interests of the German ruling party (SPD) which in practice has adversely affected the interests of the private capital investing sectors in both countries, even if for a short while. At the other side, the stance adopted by Mohammad Khazaei (an official with no responsibility in the IRI’s current foreign policy) was a sharp retort in reaction to his German counterpart which could have seriously harmed the interests of both countries and the long-term expediency of our country, in particular. It would have proven much safer to make such comments in private circle to avoid their broad reflection by media at the international level.
President Rohani‘s Government, having proven its opposition with many acts of its former President, also having demonstrated its innovative and realistic stance towards the global issues, shall endeavor to keep aside any pressure by fundamentalist groups and avoid suffering the untoward consequences attached with the inconsiderate measures to the detriment of ties with Iran.
As long as the domestic pressures are being exerted on President Rohani, it would be advisable (at least from the economical viewpoint) that other countries do respect IRI’s national sovereignty and avoid any attempt to link the mutual economic and commercial issues to those principles of capital significance to the country’s prestige and sovereignty. Whether we agree or disagree with Khazaei’s retort, the message is crystal clear:
“Trade: yes of course!, Interference: no way!”
A. A. Saatnia
May 6th, 2016
