Iran must drop oil for mining, agriculture

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the country must reduce its dependence on oil exports by expanding the mining sector and boosting agriculture.

According to Press TV, Ahmadinejad said in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Thursday “Iran sits on the world’s mineral belt and 70 percent of the world’s various minerals lie in Iran.”
Ahmadinejad urged “We have to activate the mines and use the ensuing revenues as a replacement for oil earnings in the country.”
He said Iran enjoyed glory and power for thousands of years without relying on oil, stressing that modern agricultural technology could also help wean the country off oil money.
The president, speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the executive phase of a project for sweetening and transportation of Persian Gulf waters, dismissed water shortage as an excuse against the development of Iran’s agricultural sector, saying there are sufficient water resources in the country and calling for appropriate utilization of the available capacities.