Government Policies – Iran and the Middle EastPaul Young CPA, CGAApril 8, 2017

Agenda

• Iran Demographics• Iran Government• Iran 1970s and Iran 2017• Iran GDP• Natural Gas• Iran FDI• Canada and Iran• Alexander Trudeau/Documentary

Iran Demographics

Source - http://www.indexmundi.com/iran/demographics_profile.html

Iran GovernmentIran is a Middle-Eastern country also known as the Islamic Republic of Iran and has a theocratic government, in which most policies are based on Islamic religious ideologies. The political structure of the country comprises of the supreme leader, the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, and other institutions such as the Assembly of Experts, the Expediency Discernment Council, and the City and Village Councils of Iran. 

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-type-of-government-does-the-iran-have.html

Iran 1970s IRAN Now

Iran GDP

Iran is the second largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after Saudi Arabia, with an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015 of US$393.7 billion. It also has the second largest population of the region after Egypt, with an estimated 78.8 million people in 2015. Iran’s economy is characterized by the hydrocarbon sector, agriculture and services sectors, and a noticeable state presence in manufacturing and financial services. Iran ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth in proven crude oil reserves. Economic activity and government revenues still depend to a large extent on oil revenues and therefore remain volatile.

Source - https://www.statista.com/statistics/294534/iran-share-of-economic-sectors-in-gdp/ or https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iran/overview

Natural Gas – Syria and Iran

http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/is-the-fight-over-a-gas-pipeline-fuelling-the-worlds-bloodiest-conflict/news-story/74efcba9554c10bd35e280b63a9afb74

In fact 80 per cent of the gas that Russian state-controlled company Gazprom produces is sold to Europe, so maintaining this crucial market is very important.But Europe doesn’t like being so reliant on Russia for fuel and has been trying to reduce its dependence. It’s a move that is supported by the United States as it would weaken Russian influence over Europe.This has not gone down well with Russia, which uses its power over gas as political leverage and has a history of cutting off supply to countries during conflicts. It has even gone to war in Georgia and Ukraine to disrupt plans to export gas from other parts of the Middle East.

Before the civil war, two competing pipelines put forward by Qatar and Iran aimed to transport gas to Europe through Syria.Qatar’s plans were first put forward in 2009 and involved building a pipeline from the Persian Gulf via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey.The gas field located 3000 metres below the floor of the Persian Gulf is the largest natural gas field in the world. Qatar owns about two-thirds of the resource but can’t capitalise on it fully because it relies on tankers to deliver it to other countries and this makes its gas more expensive than Russia’s.It was hoped the pipeline would provide cheaper access to Europe but Syrian President Bashar al Assad refused to give permission for the pipeline to go through his territory. Some believe Russia pressured him to reject the pipeline to safeguard its own business.

IRAN FDIIran approved the attraction of $11.8 billion in foreign direct investment during the 12 months to December 21.Of this sum, $11.33 billion pertain to greenfield and $496 million to brownfield investments, according to a report recently published in the government's official website.The report was published in the runup to the anniversary of the implementation of Iran’s historic nuclear deal with world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, on January 16, 2016. The deal, signed in July 2015, granted Iran relief from years of economic sanctions in exchange for rolling back the scope of its nuclear program.The deal opened the gates to an inflow of foreign capital to rebuild infrastructures worn out and underdeveloped under the sanctions at a time when the country faced a nosedive in the price of oil, which has traditionally been the government's main source of revenues.

https://financialtribune.com/articles/domestic-economy/57154/iran-approves-118b-of-fdi-post-sanctions

Iran – Banking System

Canada and Iran

Government of Canada

Alexandre Trudeau (Justin Trudeau’s Brother

http://www.neveragaincanada.ca/justin-trudeaus-brother-and-political-advisor-works-with-iran-to-help-its-nuclear-program/

Alexandre Trudeau, son of late Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau, and brother and senior political adviser to Liberal leadership candidate Justin, has been working with the Iranian government tocreate propaganda to whitewash its nuclear arms program.    PressTV, the Iranian state-owned propaganda organ, was a co-producer of the documentary The New Great Game,which  was produced and directed by Alexandre Trudeau. According to Honest Reporting Canada Executive Director Mike Fegelman, in the film, the Liberal MP’s brother “reports that Iran’s atomic ambitions are for “defensive” purposes only,serving as an effective “deterrent” against Israeli”aggression” and belligerence