Page 43 - bne IntelliNews Country Report: Iran Dec17

deal will also see the British firm, based in Buckinghamshire just outside London, playing an advisory role for several new medical centres. Iran’s ambassador to London, Hamid Baeedinejad, said the deal with IHG took several months to draw up. A formal contract would be finalised within a few weeks, he added. The Iranian health ministry and IHG are also to exchange information, data and latest findings in the field of cancer treatment and are to cooperate in training employees. “In addition to attracting financial resources to build, equip and run these centres, the British company will cooperate in transferring the latest medical knowhow regarding cancer treatment and training of personnel,” the ambassador noted on his personal Telegram messenger channel. When completed, the project is to result in one of the biggest cancer centres in the Islamic Republic. Despite Iran being under punitive international sanctions in recent years, the country's indigenous medical industry has thrived with several expatriate Iranians returning home to open new hospitals and treatment centres. Among the most high-profile of the returned expatriates is Dr Majid Samii, who recently constructed the biggest neurosurgery centre in the Middle East and Central Asia, with the backing of the Iranian government and Tehran Municipality
9.1.7 Utilities sector news
A feasibility study for a north-south energy corridor traversing Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Iran will be finished in 2018, Arka news agency reported on November 1 citing Alexander Novak, co-chair of the Russia-Iran intergovernmental commission. T he energy corridor would consist of transmission lines uniting the grids of the four participating countries. Armenia is already connected to Russia and Iran through high-voltage power lines, through which it exports electricity in exchange for natural gas. However, Yerevan is working on constructing a third line connecting it to Iran and transmission lines connecting it to Georgia. The corridor would be used to better manage seasonal peaks in electricity demand, Novak said. The four countries agreed to the project during an April 2016 meeting between their energy ministers in Yerevan. The new "energy corridor" is likely Armenia's response to Azerbaijan's successful attempts at positioning itself as an important energy supplier in the region. Baku and Yerevan have been at odds for almost three decades over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Turkey have closed their borders with Armenia over the largely frozen conflict. That has resulted in the latter's economic isolation and almost total dependence on Russia. Over the years, Azerbaijan has successfully pushed for regional cooperation formats, programmes and infrastructure projects linking T urkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran that have furthered Armenia's isolation.
The Iranian Association of Water and Wastewater Experts (IAWWE) and the French Water Partnership (FWP) on October 18 signed a memorandum of understanding in Tehran, according to Mehr News Agency . France has been at the forefront of developing public utility projects in Iran since the nuclear deal was signed in November 2015 and opened up the country's economy. Several French companies including Engie (known as GDF Suez prior to April 2015) are already operating in Iran to redevelop its water system. The business consul for the French embassy in Tehran, Romain Keraval, said France be bringing latest technology to the Islamic Republic. “All French companies are leading firms in their specialities and possess modern technologies for water, water transport and wastewater treatment,” he said,
43 IRAN Country Report November 2017 www.intellinews.com