Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – November 23, 1993

As usual, I reached my office at eight o'clock. The work was done until half past nine in the morning. Mr. [Bijan Namdar] Zanganeh, [Minister of Energy] and deputies came. They said the plans of the second five-year plan and some credits. Some of the plans will either be deleted or made longer.

Timsar [Mustafa] Tarabi, [Army Security and Intelligence Commander] came. He gave the report of the German Bachman case and apologized for the indiscipline that occurred in this case. He reported the situation of the army. [Mr. Anthony Mani and Marzanai Yoldashbekov], the new ambassadors of Ireland and Kazakhstan came to present credentials. I asked the Irish ambassador many questions about the conflict and war in Northern Ireland, the root of the differences and their solution, and the position of England and Southern Ireland; He believes that contrary to the appearance that it is a religious war, it has historical roots. I asked the ambassador of Kazakhstan, who is the first ambassador of this country to Iran, more about "Tenge", their national currency, which they recently published.

In the afternoon, Fati and [his son] Ali were my guests. Until four o'clock in the afternoon, it was usual to rest and do things. Then we went to [Mehrabad] airport to welcome the Indonesian president. They arrived an hour late. They said that the reason for the delay was heavy snowfall at the Vienna airport, which prevented the flight of the plane. They came with his wife, daughter and foreign minister. Chastity and Fati also welcomed the ladies. After the Sun ceremonies and the performance of the hymn and the interview, we went to the Saad Abad guest house together. On the way to learn more about the Seattle conference in America, he said that the heads of fifteen countries in Asia and the Pacific and the United States have been there, and the work is just beginning. The interesting point is the presence of China and Taiwan at the same table, which the Chinese usually do not accept, and here they have accepted it under the pretext that it is only economic and not political.

I came home Prayer and rest, and then I went to Saadabad number three and Efat went to the Red Palace for dinner, before dinner and during dinner we discussed OPEC and oil prices. We both agree that oil is cheap and it should become more expensive by reducing production, but they are not as serious as we are, because their total export is 450,000 barrels per day, and I asked many questions about the state of production and consumption, industry, trade, and agriculture, regarding the export of oil and gas and their income from this route. Their information is contradictory. For example, it has 10 billion dollars compared to 450 thousand barrels and 20 million feet of gas, which has much less income. I came home around nine o'clock at night. It is also drizzling. He said he saw snow for the second time in Austria and his wife saw it for the first time.