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transfer funds from buyers of Iranian crude in Asia to purchase medicines in Europe.
The Swiss have already designated two banks likely to accept the trade to be conducted with the mechanism: “It could either be the Heritage Bank or Banque de Commerce et de Placements [BCP], banks that were handling the Iranian money before the sanctions,” Nezam-Mafi said.
The exports would only flow from Switzerland and would only involve medicine provided by Swiss companies, he added.
9.1.10 Tourism sector news
Iran has extended a visa-waiver programme for Chinese tourists from 15 days to 21 days in a move to boost and ease trade amid US sanctions pressure, according to Mehr News Agency on July 29. Chinese visitors to Iran, both business and touristic, are looking to the country with increasing interest as Iran continues to integrate with other Asian countries, including via China’s huge Belt and Road project to roll out trade transit infrastructure across several continents, although most of Iran’s participation in that programme is largely still at the planning stage. Increasing numbers of Chinese are also now learning Persian in Iran with families sending their children to learn more about Persian culture.
Although officially aimed at Chinese tourists, the visa extension decision would include visiting businesspeople from China and those meeting with local commercial counterparts.
The Iranian cabinet approved a visa-free policy for Chinese nationals visiting the country, according to the deputy head of the Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation (ICHHTO) on June 29, but it was limited to 15 days.
Iran has also lately relaxed visa requirements for visiting citizens of countries in the Caucasus and E urasianEconomicUnion(EEU) bloc,andTurkey and India .
Foreigners making use of Iran’s vast medical sector are generating annual revenue of $1.2bn, Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said at a recent conference in Tehran, the Financial Tribune reported on June 20. Given that the value of the Iranian rial (IRR) has collapsed by around 65% since March 2018, around when it was becoming clear that the US was set to switch back to imposing heavy sanctions on Iran, ‘medical tourists’, including many from Arabian countries in the Persian Gulf region, have found extra incentive to flock to the Islamic Republic for medical services. The depreciation made the cost of treatments including rhinoplasty, weight loss surgery and hair replacement very much cheaper.
“The number of foreign nationals travelling to Iran to receive medical care has increased by 10 times over the past decade to reach 300,000 per year,” the minister was also quoted as saying.
Iraqis, Afghanistanis, Azerbaijanis and Pakistanis are in particular very much known to make extensive use of Iran’s modern medical facilities, which to people of these nationalities are often cheaper to use than what’s on offer back home.
Looking at the potential for drawing in more medical tourists, Harirchi noted that the populations of Central Asian countries add up to around 500mn people. As part of Iran’s 20-year Vision Plan, some 20mn people from neighbouring countries could use Iranian medical facilities, he said. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
43 IRAN Country Report September 2019 www.intellinews.com