Mojtaba Zolnour: We will conclude a document with Russia like China

Although Iran's cooperation document with China has been widely criticized and has faced many protests, the head of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament has said that we will sign similar strategic and long-term documents with Russia.

Mojtaba Zolnour, head of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament, said on Monday, April 29, referring to the Iran-China cooperation document: “In addition to China, the Islamic Republic of Iran is seeking to conclude long-term and strategic documents with Russia.” These strategic documents, he said, include “bilateral economic interactions” and other areas of joint cooperation.

Shafaqna News Agency quoted Mojtaba Zolnour as saying that entering into such relations with China, Russia, and neighboring countries is "one of the most important ways to neutralize the US sanctions" against the Islamic Republic.

According to him, the joint cooperation mentioned with these countries includes rail, road, refinery, petrochemical, automotive, oil, gas, gasoline, environment, and knowledge-based companies.

This is while a protest rally took place on the streets of Tehran on Monday, March 20, against the signing of this document.

A document that even the parliament is unaware of

Apparently, apart from a handful of Iranian officials, even members of parliament are not fully aware of the document’s contents. According to the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the parliament, the committee plans to invite Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to “provide the necessary explanations to the representatives in this regard” in the parliament or on the committee floor.

He said that "if international treaties and agreements create an obligation for Iran vis-à-vis other countries," it must be approved by the parliament, and the parliament must, with its "supervisory role," "pay attention to the process of these agreements so that no benefit from the interests of the nation is neglected."

The head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has spoken of "long-term and strategic documents" with Russia, while the essence of the Iran-China strategic document and the many concerns raised in connection with it have not yet dried up.

One of the most important reasons for concern about the "Comprehensive Cooperation Document with China" is the lack of transparency and the lack of public awareness of the issues contained in it. A concern that will likely also apply to the Cooperation Document with Russia in the future.

Also, if the cooperation document with China confronts Iran with obligations that require parliamentary oversight, it is not clear why similar documents with Russia are promised in advance.

A document that has the potential for specific criticism.

On Saturday, March 27, the foreign ministers of Iran and China signed a comprehensive cooperation document between the two countries, which is set for 25 years, at the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran.

The scope and details of this document are unclear, and the Iranian government has not made any clarifications about it. According to published news, no specific contracts have been signed for any projects yet. Many Iran observers believe that any signing of agreements or contracts in this regard will be postponed until after the US sanctions.

It is not possible to criticize or analyze this document in detail until its details are made available to the public. And even if there is an objection, it is not based on evidence and documents and cannot lead anywhere.

Among the incomplete information published about the document is that the two countries have signed a 25-year document for China to invest $400 billion in various sectors of the Iranian economy. A package that includes various economic, industrial, commercial, construction and even political sectors. Many critics also point to possible security cooperation. It is also said that Iran will pre-sell part of its oil in exchange for Chinese loans and capital.

This is not unprecedented. In the past, Chinese companies have also received a portion of the oil produced in these fields as a settlement in exchange for investing in the Azadegan and Yadavaran fields.

Economic analysts also say that China will always have the upper hand in this document and that the possibility of investing in Iran for other foreign companies may be limited. Iranian officials have only assured that no concessions have been made and there is no reason for concern.

Letter to the President of China 

However, many in Iran are concerned. Some even compare this document to Turkmenchay. At the same time as the Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to Iran, a letter was published on social media addressed to the Chinese President, asking China not to sign this document.

The authors of the letter wrote that “the Islamic Republic system is collapsing, and therefore signing a 25-year contract with such a system is inherently doomed to failure.”

They have also pointed to the crises currently facing the Islamic Republic, calling the 25-year Iran-China agreement “in conflict with Iran’s national interests” and “morally, politically, legally, and humanly unacceptable.” But experts do not believe it is likely that the Chinese government will be swayed by such petitions.

10 years of negotiations and still hidden

The history of negotiations on this strategic document dates back more than 10 years, at least to the second administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the past two years, consultations on this document have become more intensive, and on July 23, 2020, the cabinet of Hassan Rouhani gave the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official permission to begin final negotiations and sign the Comprehensive Cooperation Program document. Despite 10 years of consultations, the secrecy of the document’s contents has led to much speculation, to the point where some consider it a betrayal of national interests, while others consider it a document for development.

Even newspapers within Iran have criticized the document. In an editorial on Tuesday, July 8, the Islamic Republic newspaper criticized the concealment of the document's contents from the public, writing that China and Iran have been trying to finalize the 25-year-old document for a year, so "why are the people unaware of the details of this document? Some people have claimed to have been informed of its contents. If so, why shouldn't the public be informed of it?"

The newspaper wrote in response to officials who focus on Chinese “considerations” and “desires”: “They have said that China is worried that the open announcement of the contents of this document may cause American sabotage. If the Chinese really have such a strange concern, that is enough to conclude that they cannot be trusted. Why is a country that claims to be a superpower worried about American sabotage? Is it worried about itself or Iran?”

The history of China’s relations with Iran also does not leave much room for optimism. The newspaper Jomhuri Eslami referred to China as an “ally” that has only focused on its own interests during its relations with Iran. The newspaper wrote: “Just when discussions are underway regarding the 25-year Iran-China agreement, China is openly announcing that it has replaced Iranian oil with Saudi oil. While we still bear the scars left by China’s violations in the currency agreement during the Ahmadinejad administration, which was a currency Turkmenchai, we should not accept another 25-year agreement with China.”

Source: DW