Iran ready for better, constructive relations with world: Rouhani

Iran president Dr Hassan Rouhani has said that Iran is ready for better and more constructive ties with other countries.
He told a group of foreign ambassadors and political envoys on the eve of 22nd Bahman (February 11), marking the 35th triumph anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, “We are ready to have better ties with all countries, ranging from Asia to Africa, Europe and America, on mutual respect and common interests.”

He said countries will receive respect in return for respect and good faith in return for good faith.

He highlighted the nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran and said that in the early years of Islamic Revolution, Iranian nation embraced Islamic culture as a big divine blessing and Iranians did their best to propaganate the Islamic culture.

I donˈt emphasize that the first human rights charter emerged in Iran and Iranian nation was the messenger of the charter to the world people.

He said more than 100 years ago and at the beginning of the 20th century, which marks a modern era, Iranian nation has been pioneers in the region and the votes of people and ballot boxes were the opening the way for democracy .

“The first National Consultative Assembly was established in the region by Iran.”

Iran was the first country in the region which passed the Constitution at the Constituent Assembly, said the president, adding that about 50 years ago, when Iranian people were fed up with suffocation and domestic despotism as well as foreign intervention, especially the US intervention, campaign against religion and culture, they initiated a big movement and the revolution.

In the course of the 16-year Islamic Movement, Iranian people were exposed to different forms of torture, imprisonment and even killing in streets in various cities, eventually getting the Islamic movement triumphant, he added.

The president said that 35 years ago these days, big Islamic revolution emerged triumphant.

He noted that the Islamic Revolution reached victory and just 47 days after the victory, Iranian people went to the ballot boxes to decide establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

President Rouhani said only in the first year of the revolution, the people went to the polling boxes five times, something unprecedented in the western democracies.

He termed Islamic Republic system based on democracy and within framework of national and religious culture, falling in the path of independence, self-reliance and national trust.

The president said last year people created one more epic: in a situation suffering from arbitrary sanctions and the ill-wishers believed that Iranians will surrender to them, they went to the 11the presidential polls and created the big epic, featuring 73 percent turnout.

Elsewhere in his address, President Rouhani said the people formed the Government of Hope and Prudence, which is determined to begin constructive engagement with all countries on mutual interests and build new situation in foreign relations based on principled and lasting relations.

Over the past six months, we have been witnessing new moves in Iran’s relations with many countries, said the president citing the interim agreement Iran signed with the western governments on November 24.

ˈOf course, the regional, Muslim and Non-Aligned Movement states will have the priority in this respect and we have always been prepared to have ties with all countries for better and more sincere relations.ˈ

He said global peace and security have special importance for Iran and the government.

“Annihilation of weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear arms, in line with global security is a priority for the government. The world free of nuclear weapons, especially the Middle East free of the WMDs and nuclear weapons, are among dreams, expectations and demands of the Iranian nation.”

The diplomatic corps in turn extended their congratulation to the president on the auspicious 10-Day Dawn.