TEHRAN - President Hassan Rouhani on Monday inaugurated new projects in free trade zones (FTZs) in northern, northwestern, southeastern, and southern Iran worth millions of dollars.
The new projects were opened in East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Khuzestan, Hormuzgan, Gilan, and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces.
They will provide job opportunities for 920 people in Kish Island, Qeshm, Arvand, Aras, and Anzali.

Construction of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway Starts
The Secretary of Supreme Council of Free Zones Hamid-Reza Momeni announced the start of construction of operation of projects at free zones at the order of President Rouhani and said that construction of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway is one of the most important projects in free zones.
The construction operation of 52 projects in the fields of petrochemical and tourism, Shalamcheh-Basra Railway, greenhouse orchards, trade and welfare complexes, water amusement park, cable cabin, ski piste, etc. will be put into operation in Aras, Arvand, Maku, Anzali, Kish, Qeshm and Chabahar free zones on Monday, he added.
He went on to say that construction operation of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway is one of the most important projects which will start in Arvand Free Zone.
Once these development projects are put into operation, 37,000 new employment opportunities will be generated, he said, adding that major portion of these projects would be launched by the private sector.
Momeni put the share of government in these projects at only four percent which is very negligible in a way that giant task of these projects would be implemented by the private sector.
The Iranian president will open 15 production and economic plans worth 2,619 billion tomans in Aras and 11 economic and infrastructural plans worth 225 billion tomans in Arvand.
Meanwhile, 15 production and infrastructural projects worth 2,480 billion tomans were inaugurated in Qeshm Island and nine others in Kish Island.
The implementation process of 52 other projects worth 64,192 billion tomans and with a capacity of creating jobs for 7,117 people also started.