IRAN: HUNGARIAN DIPLOMAT TALKS OF LIFE IN THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001556 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/IR AND SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV IR TX SUBJECT: IRAN: HUNGARIAN DIPLOMAT TALKS OF LIFE IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC ASHGABAT 00001556 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES RICHARD MILES. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a meeting with emboffs, a Hungarian diplomat posted in Tehran described what it is like to live and work in the Islamic Republic. He confirmed that Iran's economy is in very bad shape, and that people are becoming more and more critical of the government's ineptitude. Iranians look to study abroad as a means of emigrating. End Summary. A HUNGARIAN DIPLOMAT'S LIFE IN TEHRAN ¶2. (C) Over lunch in Ashgabat on December 2, the head of the Hungarian Embassy in Tehran's Economic and Trade Section, Szabolcs Tutto, shared with emboffs his impressions about life as a diplomat in the Iranian capital. Tutto has been posted in Tehran for the last year and is also accredited in Turkmenistan. He said that he enjoys Tehran, where he resides with his family in the embassy's diplomatic compound. The compound houses both the mission and living quarters and is located in the northeastern suburbs of the city. Nevertheless, he said he was enjoying his visit to Ashgabat as it offered a short respite from Tehran's infamous traffic and air pollution. In his neighborhood alone, he said, four huge construction projects are underway, with work going on 24 hours a day. ¶3. (C) Tutto said that he has had an opportunity to meet quite a few private Iranian businesspeople through his efforts to promote trade and investment. He attends a Farsi course offered by the Iranian MFA for foreign diplomats. He finds the average Iranian "disinterested" in politics, and more focused on their day-to-day lives and trying to get by despite the 50 percent inflation rate (the official rate is 27 percent). The local staff employed by the embassy generally does not comment on political matters, although the custodian, he said, will often refer to President Ahmadinejad derisively by the nickname "Ahmaqeh-nejad" ("idiot's offspring"). A PREFERENCE FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION ¶4. (C) Tutto's 3-year old daughter attends an Italian preschool, he said, where most of the children are Iranian. He and his wife socialize occasionally with the parents of her classmates, attending children's birthday parties and other celebrations. Politics is not discussed at these gatherings, and none of the women cover their heads in the presence of male guests. In general, Iranian parents who have the means are anxious to enroll their children in foreign language preschools, in the hope of providing an opportunity for them to study abroad later and leave Iran. Tuition at the Italian school costs 1600 Euros a year, and the German school is higher (4500 Euros). Most Iranians prefer and admire western lifestyles and attitudes, particularly the United States. Anyone who can is trying to leave Iran because the people "dislike the system and cannot make a decent living." "Emigration" firms are proliferating, with advertisements everywhere offering the possibility of emigrating to Canada or the U.S. ¶5. (C) Despite a rise in financial scams in Iran, Tutto said that he finds Iranians to be quite honest. When he mistakenly overpays a shopkeeper, they will point this out and give him back the excess. The average income in Tehran (less in the provinces) is about USD 500 per month. Many people hold two jobs just to get by, a situation that he said reminds him of Hungary after the fall of communism. ¶6. (C) Tutto said that when meeting with Iranian government officials, he never wears a tie, because respecting this aspect of the male dress code gives him much more credibility with his interlocutors. He said that although alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited, non-Muslims are allowed to drink in Tehran's Armenian restaurants. In fact, non-Muslims are allowed to make wine and spirits at home ASHGABAT 00001556 002.2 OF 002 (many of his colleagues do this as a hobby),as long as it is not sold or served to Muslims. DIPLOMATIC POLICE SURVEILLANCE ¶7. (C) The "diplomatic police" have guards posted outside all foreign diplomatic missions, he said. Most are unarmed, but outside embassies that face a higher security threat, such as Afghanistan's, the police carry AK-47s. They keep close track of the comings and goings at embassies, noting license plate numbers. Tutto said that while he has never been followed around town, he has no doubt that his phone calls and internet messages are monitored. The "diplomatic police" recently harassed one of his embassy's local staff, accusing her of not possessing the correct working permit. He said that Iranians employed by foreign embassies or private companies are officially required to hold a special work permit from the authorities for this purpose, although most do not. ¶8. (C) Among university students, the most popular subjects are English and business courses. Again, it is believed that they offer the best hopes of securing employment abroad and an opportunity to emigrate. He said that there currently are about 2000 Iranians studying at Hungarian universities. EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ¶9. (C) Tutto said that after the worldwide financial crisis occurred, the Iranian government continued to announce that Iran was "unaffected" because of its uniquely "independent" status. It soon became apparent, particularly when oil prices dropped, that the effects on its economy were devastating, which he says are clearly much worse than those caused by the sanctions. A letter signed by a number of respected Iranian economists was recently circulated criticizing the government's economic policies, he said. In general, the average person up until now has been insulated from the effects of sanctions because of the government's vast subsidy program for basic goods. More and more Iranians, however, are opening criticizing the government's economic policies, calling them "stupid." ¶10. (C) Comment: Our Hungarian colleague offers an interesting window on life as a diplomat in Iran. As he also reports on economic issues in Turkmenistan, he plans to visit Ashgabat several times a year and will contact us whenever he is in town. End comment. MILES