Page 45 - IRANRptMar20

Swiss and US governments trial channel to deliver food and medicine to Iran
health ministry's hygiene guidelines. He also insisted Iranian officials were not hiding information about the scale of the coronavirus problem in Iran, saying: "Our officials have reported with sincerity and transparency since day one. However, some countries where the outbreak has been more serious have tried to hide it."
A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived in Iran on March 2 to support local health authorities battling the epidemic. They brought a shipment of medical supplies and protective equipment to support more than 15,000 healthcare workers and laboratory kits for the testing and diagnosing of nearly 100,000 people.
A humanitarian channel to deliver food and medicine to Iran has commenced trial operations, the Swiss and US governments said on January 30.
Swiss goods will be supplied to the Islamic Republic via the scheme with no danger of getting entangled in American sanctions.
The Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA) aims to ensure that Swiss-based exporters and trading companies in the food, pharmaceutical and medical sectors can utilise a secure payment channel with a Swiss bank through which payments for their exports to Iran are guaranteed, a government statement said.
Three shipments of cancer and transplant drugs have already been sent to Iran through this channel and the transaction was processed, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook told a press briefing.
“It’s the first one, there will be more to come,” Hook said, according to Reuters. “We have created a very high standard of due diligence...It’s already met by one European company,” he added, noting that he has been talking with more companies interested in facilitating medicine and medical device shipments.
Food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies are exempt from the heavy sanctions imposed on Tehran after US President Donald Trump nearly two years ago unilaterally walked away from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran over its nuclear development programme.
Such is the extent of the US measures, they have deterred several foreign banks from doing business with the Islamic Republic—including when it comes to humanitarian deals.
The project kicked off with an initial payment for a shipment to Iran of cancer drugs and drugs required for organ transplants worth €2.3mn, the governments said.
Geneva-based bank BCP and drugmaker Novartis took part in the pilot deal.
The humanitarian channel is expected to be fully operational within weeks.
Exporters and banks using the mechanism must give the Swiss government detailed information about their business activities and partners in Iran. Bern will verify the information and share it with the US Treasury.
Tehran turns to the Swiss embassy to facilitate dealings with Washington as Iran has had no diplomatic relations with the US since shortly after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
45​ IRAN Country Report​ March 2020 www.intellinews.com