Supreme Leader: Iran sees power in scientific progress, not A-bomb

Tehran, Aug 30, IRNA – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that IR Iran considers the real power in strengthening the national will and progress in scientific and social fields and not in making atomic bomb. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in his meeting with the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who had gone to visit the leader at his residence in Tehran on Thursday. President Mugabe referred to Supreme Leader's speech in the opening ceremony of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit as brilliant, instructive and containing philosophical content. 'We are very happy that Iran has become the rotating head of the NAM due to the fact that it has good track record in fighting West's colonial powers,' he added. The Zimbabwean president noted that the NAM summit also provides a good opportunity for expansion of bilateral ties. He pointed out that the background of the US, UK, and France, as well as their double standards vis-à-vis the developments in the Middle East region shows that the westerners are only looking for oil resources. Listening to statements of the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Ayatollah Khamenei hailed President Mugabe for maintaining his revolutionary spirit. 'About 25 years ago when I had participated in NAM summit in Zimbabwe's capital (Harare), you had the same revolutionary spirit and said that other NAM member-states only talk and it is only the IR Iran that acts and now it is a good opportunity for bilateral cooperation and taking concrete measures,' the supreme leader added. Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that NAM has provided a good opportunity for bilateral cooperation between the member-states. 'We see the real power in strengthening the national will and scientific advancements, not atomic weapons,' the Supreme Leader added.