Sarmast Calls for Accelerated Implementation of East Azerbaijan's Strategic Projects

Tabriz – The Governor of East Azerbaijan called for accelerating the implementation of the Aras water transfer project, the development of freeways and railway lines, the provision of equipment for the comprehensive cancer hospital, and the advancement of the Sungun copper projects.

According to Mehr reporter, Bahram Sarmast on Thursday morning in the meeting of the provincial planning and development council, which was held with the presence of the president's webinar, referring to the holding of specialized meetings during the visit of the executive vice president to Tabriz, said: In this trip, issues such as the referral system, local governance model, economic and investment issues, demands of political and social activists and projects related to housing were discussed.

Referring to the investment memorandums presented during this trip, he said: an important part of the province's plans have been followed with the aim of strengthening investment, supporting production and accelerating the implementation of priority projects.

Referring to the historical position of this region in the developments of the country, the governor of East Azerbaijan considered the cooperation of the people of the province with Iran as one of the important capacities of developing and advancing national programs and said: the people of Azerbaijan have been present in the scene at different historical times, from the constitutional revolution and the Islamic revolution to the era of holy defense and recent wars.

Referring to the presidential election and the formation of the 14th government, Sarmast added: "The people of East Azerbaijan showed their support for the national unity approach by electing Masoud Mezikian, and emphasized on accompanying Iran in the difficult situation of the country."

Referring to the emphasis of the Martyr of the Revolution on the place of the people of Azerbaijan and Tabriz in the history of Iran, he pointed out that the administration of the province has tried to move along with the people and in the direction of advancing construction, economic and social programs.

Supporting the private sector and development projects

Referring to the share of the private sector in the province's economy, the Governor of East Azerbaijan said: About 95% of the economy of East Azerbaijan is on the shoulders of the private sector, and therefore, supporting investors and providing the basis for the implementation of economic promotion projects is of particular importance.

He continued: In this regard, negotiations and understandings have been made with the operating banks to provide the facilities needed by the private sector and support the priority projects of the province's development.

Appreciating the support of Mohammad Jaafar Qaimpanah, the executive vice president, for the province's plans, Sarmast said: The cooperations carried out during the 14th government's tenure and the follow-ups during the recent trip have provided the basis for examining and following some of the development demands of East Azerbaijan.

Completing freeways and connecting Tabriz rail to international routes

Referring to the geographical location of East Azerbaijan and its communication capacities, Sarmast considered the completion of transportation infrastructure as one of the necessities of the development of the province and the strengthening of regional and cross-border communications.

He listed the widening of Kalaleh-Jolfa road and the completion of freeways in the province as among the projects that need the support of the government and said: Tabriz-Marand-Sufian freeway, Tabriz-Barazjan freeway, Hashtroud-Maragheh-Tamrchin freeway and the completion of Ilkhchi bypass are among the projects that need to be taken for their progress.

Referring to the opening of the return lane of the Ilkhchi bypass from Azarshahr to Tabriz, the governor of East Azerbaijan emphasized that the completion of the second lane of this route still needs support.

He also mentioned the completion of the Benab bypass and the development of railway infrastructure as other demands of the province and added: connecting Khavaran station to the Tabriz rail network and the continuation of the Tabriz to Cheshmethoriya rail route should be among the strategic priorities due to its international and communication importance.

juniper water transfer; Demand for sustainable supply of Tabriz drinking water

Referring to the importance of Aras water transfer project, the governor of East Azerbaijan appreciated the government's support in financing and pursuing this project and said: This project, which faced stagnation and stoppage for years, has entered a more serious follow-up stage with recent support.

Stating that the transfer of Aras water is of strategic importance for providing drinking water to Tabriz and the cities located along the way, he asked the president to issue the necessary orders to complete the project in the remaining period of the government's activity.

Sarmast emphasized: The use of this project can provide a sustainable supply of drinking water for the people of Tabriz and other cities along the route, and therefore, speeding up its implementation should be prioritized in the implementation plans of the province.

Rehabilitation of Tabriz power plant and development of electricity generation capacity

Sarmast listed the rehabilitation of Tabriz thermal power plant and the construction of the second combined cycle power plant as other important projects of the province and said: the implementation of these plans is important in several ways; including reducing the loss of water resources, helping to improve the air pollution situation in Tabriz and providing sustainable electricity needed by industries.

Referring to the need of industrial units for sustainable energy, he added: the development of electricity generation infrastructure should be followed in accordance with the economic and industrial needs of the province so that the continuous activity of production units and the implementation of development plans are provided.

The necessity of providing equipment for comprehensive cancer hospital

Referring to the treatment projects of the province, the Governor of East Azarbaijan named the provision of equipment for the comprehensive cancer hospital as one of the important demands of the health sector and said: 41 million euros of credit is needed for the provision of equipment for this center.

Stating that follow-ups have been done to provide manpower and infrastructure needed for this complex, he said: Comprehensive Cancer Hospital can become a reference center for providing specialized services to patients in the northwest of the country, and in addition to East Azerbaijan, it can provide services to neighboring provinces and even neighboring countries.

Sarmast also deemed it necessary to complete the 1,500-bed hospital in Tabriz and advance the Marand, Benab, and Maragheh hospital projects and emphasized the need to develop medical facilities in other regions of the province.

Referring to the understandings raised during the visit of the Executive Vice President, he said: It is expected that the treatment plans of the province will enter more effective implementation stages with the support of the government and the adoption of necessary decisions.

Sarmast listed the completion of infrastructure and development projects of Songun copper as one of the other demands of the people of East Azerbaijan and said: The proposal of the province is to organize the projects related to this complex in the form of a holding company so that the process of implementing projects and exploiting mineral capacities can be followed more coherently.

Emphasizing the need for the province to benefit more from the resources obtained from mining activities, he added: a basis must be provided so that financial circulation related to Sungun copper and the mineral resources of East Azerbaijan plays a more effective role in the economic development of the region.

The Governor of East Azarbaijan also called for more attention to the province's share of tax revenues, value added tax and pollution duties related to mining activities and emphasized the necessity of reviving mines and using the mineral capacities of the province.

According to him, the development of this sector can be effective in strengthening the economic infrastructure and increasing the region's use of natural and mineral resources.

Continuation of economic activities and support for war-damaged units

Referring to the war conditions of the country, the governor of East Azarbaijan said: "In this period, the administration of the province has tried to prevent the transfer of the effects and consequences of the war to the daily life of the people as much as possible by maintaining the process of providing basic goods, supporting production and following up on the issues of economic units."

He considered the holding of economic Tuesday meetings, removal of production obstacles and follow-up on the revival of production units among the measures that have been taken for the continuation of economic activities in the province.

Referring to the understandings concluded with banks for the financing of development projects, Sarmast added: the planned facilities should be used to support production, implement priority projects, and strengthen the economic activities of the province.

He also called for the necessary decisions to be taken for the reconstruction and compensation of production units damaged in the war and emphasized: supporting these units and providing the basis for their return to the activity cycle is one of the issues that requires the government's follow-up and support.

In the end, referring to the plans and understandings reviewed during the visit of the executive vice president, the governor of East Azerbaijan said: the province is ready to implement the approvals and advance the construction, economic and cultural programs, and it is expected that with the support of the president, the process of implementing priority projects will be followed at a faster pace.