Tuesday, October 7, 2014

UANI Calls for Participants in Europe-Iran Business Forum to Fully Disclose and Clarify Iran Business Activities

UANI Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 7, 2014
Contact: Gabriel Pedreira,
GPedreira@uani.com 
Phone: (212) 554-3296  

UANI Calls for Participants in Europe-Iran Business Forum to Fully Disclose and Clarify Iran Business Activities
UANI Calls on Firms such as U.S. Defense Contractor Finmeccanica to Clarify Purpose of Reported Participation in Iran Business Forum
  
New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is calling on all firms participating in the first Europe-Iran Forum, including Italian industrial conglomerate and U.S. defense contractor Finmeccanica, to fully disclose the nature and extent of any Iran business activities. UANI is also calling for clarification of the purpose of these firms' participation in the forum, if not to capitalize on "commercial opportunities" in Iran. UANI previously applauded Finmeccanica for committing to no new Iran business at this time.

The Europe-Iran Forum is scheduled to be held in London on October 15-16. The presence of European businesses at the Europe-Iran Forum directly contravenes the efforts of the international community to maintain economic pressure on the Iranian regime. It also indicates such companies' apparent indifference to President Obama's pledge to "come down ... like a ton of bricks" on foreign firms expanding their Iran business.  
  
In a letter to Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti, UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace wrote:    

According to its official website, the purpose of the Europe-Iran Forum is to provide participants with the "unique opportunity to debate and network with over 200 senior business executives from across sectors, as well as policy makers from Iran and Europe, on the opportunities and challenges represented by Iran's valuable and largely untapped marketplace." Furthermore, the website describes the Forum as "a momentous commercial opportunity..."  UANI is alarmed to see that one of those due to speak at the forum, seemingly primed to take advantage of this "momentous commercial opportunity," is FATA Chairman, Ignacio Moncada. Mr. Moncada is set to appear alongside ... MTN, a controversial South African telecoms group widely reported to have provided goods and services that aided the Iranian regime in quashing Iranian democratic opposition.       

                                                                  ***

In addition, Finmeccanica's previous claims refuting the veracity of comments attributed to Mr. Moncada no longer appear credible. As you may know, Mr. Moncada was reported to have stated that FATA "is keen to participate in aluminium and power plant projects in Iran, and called for the setting up of working groups to set the stage for cooperation in that area." In response to UANI's expressed concern about these comments, your representative asserted that since "the words attributed to Mr. Moncada by TV Press (sic) are not in quotes [they] cannot therefore be considered as an official statement." In light of Mr. Moncada's active participation in a forum designed to facilitate European commercial participation in the Iranian marketplace this explanation now appears disingenuous.

Click here to read UANI's October 1 letter to Finmeccanica.
Click
here to learn more about UANI's Italy Trade Delegation Campaign.
Click 
here to view UANI's Geneva Interim Agreement Tracker.  
  
###

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Objectives of United Against Nuclear Iran
  1. Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad;
  2. Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world;
  3. Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran;
  4. Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies;
  5. Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and;
  6. Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. 
UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.
Forward email



American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran | Rockefeller Plaza | New York | NY | 10111

No comments:

Post a Comment