طMemoirs of Akbar Hashemi - August 14, 2000 - Meeting with Ali Vaqili and Reports on Research Activities in the Ministry of Oil

Ali Vaqili, the head of the Research Center of the Ministry of Oil, reported on successful research outcomes and highlighted effective collaborations with Russian scientists. He criticized the stagnant state of the country, stating that a policy of locking efforts is prevalent. He mentioned the lack of foreign currency required for their operations, which had been approved by a special commission.

Ali Shams Ardakani, former managing director of Qeshm Free Zone, also attended the meeting. He spoke about the decline in investments, identifying it as a significant risk to the economy. He criticized anti-investment taxes and the harassment faced by effective forces, which has led to demotivation. He provided an example of obstacles in establishing a dock for exporting low-value, heavy materials such as soil, sand, lime, and clinker along the Persian Gulf, near the port of Taheri, and requested that the Expediency Council address these issues.

Mahmoud Golzari, a psychologist and professor at Allameh Tabatabai University, presented suggestions for discussing ethics in my upcoming Friday prayer speech. In the afternoon, officials from the Islamic Cooperation Society (Rastgaran Cultural and Educational Institute) visited. Mohammad Hasan Meshkat reported on their services in border and deprived areas, including the establishment of schools and job creation. A group of clergymen who had migrated from Qom to serve in these centers also attended. I spoke to them about education, migration for human development, promotion, and return.

The discussion in the media regarding the press, reforms, and the Supreme Leader's decree continues. The Russian submarine has yet to be rescued. Russia has belatedly accepted Western assistance, and today, a British deep-diving submarine was transported by air to Norway to aid the Kursk submarine, which is stranded with 116 crew members. President Vladimir Putin has declared the situation critical. In Iran, a helicopter crashed into the sea after taking off from the South Pars platform, leaving several people missing.