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Iranian President Criticizes Paris Agreement

 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted the western countries for running negative and hostile propaganda against the states that have not joined the Paris Agreement (dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation) and defying or abrogating their own undertakings under accord.

“Some essays have been written in the world to prevent our development, which never address them themselves, and we have (unfortunately) supported those essays and made trouble for ourselves, while they do not respect the contents of (these essays and) the Paris Agreement,” President Rouhani said, addressing the cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

He lashed out at the western states for violating the treaties on reduction of greenhouse gases, and said, “Of course, we should endeavor to protect our environment and what is said in the world is advice which should receive attention, but we are not necessitated to comply with it line by line as if it were the holy verses of Quran.”

Rouhani’s remarks came after several Iranian ministers, including the oil and foreign ministers, as well as head of the department of environment, wrote separate letters to the parliament, calling on the legislators to approve the bill to join the Paris Agreement as soon as possible.

The bill was once studied in the parliament but the Guardian Council rejected it for a number of problems in its content. Now the bill has been presented to the parliament’s agricultural committee for further study as the Iranian MPs believe its approval needs more scrutiny and time.

There are serious reservations and protests against the implementation of the accord among Iranian experts, activists and economists who are pointing to the US withdrawal from the accord and Saudi and Russian objections to the agreement, and reminding that if fossil energy production and use is to be blamed for drastic climate changes, the US and other industrial powers have had the lion share and should be seen as the main actors responsible.

The Paris Agreement is aimed at tackling climate change and seeks to hold the increase in the average global temperature to below 2 degrees above its pre-industrial level by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with all the signatory states agreeing to reduce or limit their greenhouse gas emissions.

US President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Last April, Trump said the deal didn’t benefit America and stated that full compliance with the agreement would mean huge economic losses for his nation.

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