West Should Pull Gun Away As Prelude To Talks: President

Tehran, Feb 11, IRNA – West should pull the gun away as an introduction to any kind of talks with Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. Speaking in the massive turnout in the 22nd day of Bahman rallies in Tehran on Sunday, he underlined that although the enemies of the Iranian nation are not happy about Tehran’s scientific progresses, but they should know that Iran is now a nuclear country. “Western states imposed various kinds of pressures on the Iranian nation under the pretext of Iran becoming nuclear; recently, the words of the West towards Iran has changed, but they should know that despite the fact that Iranian nation has been always ready for pursuing logical approaches for reaching agreement and avoiding conflict, but holding a gun over Iranian nationˈs head and expecting Iran to come to the negotiating table is not logical and will not bear a result.” President Ahmadinejad added that any negotiation should pursue a common ground for cooperation and no part should use the talks as a tool for imposing its will on the other side. ˈIf the western states pull the gun away, I myself will talk to them. Any kind of talks should be based on mutual respect and in a just way; they did their best in the past to impede Tehranˈs peaceful nuclear achievement and surprisingly, they want us to abandon them, today.ˈ Ahmadinejad advised the West to make a deal with Iran instead of confronting it against its interests. He pointed to the ongoing revolutions in the region and asserted that Islamic Revolution has no geographical or ethical border and it will not stop. “Iran is an independent country and no power is able to impose its will on the Iranian nation; Iran has recently unveiled its stealth fighter named Ghaher and will send a new satellite into the orbit in the near future.” Comparing Tehran’s progresses in the past three decades after its independence; he underscored that by removing targeted subsidies, Tehran could defeat sanctions including the sanctions imposed on Iran’s gasoline imports. ˈWhile Tehranˈs current oil export is less than half of its export before its 1979ˈs revolution and despite the fact that the population has been doubled but the country is more independent from the oil revenues; non-oil exports before the revolution was about $500 million which it has passed $53 billion today.ˈ He called the Zionist regime and its allies in decline and asserted that all materialistic ideologies in their quest for making a better world for the human being are doomed to fail and Zionism and imperialism days are numbered. “The massive turnout in the 22nd day of Bahman (February 10) rallies will leave drastic impact on the entire world; the people from all walks of life have joined the rallies and this presence is a move in line with monotheism, justice and in line with promoting dignity of the Iranian nation and the other nations in the world.” President Ahmadinejad added that the rallies are held each year more glorious than the previous year because the Iranian nation is a great nation which will never be disappointed by the problems. ˈThe Islamic revolution is considered as a huge human evolution and the huge event after movement of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH); the Islamic Revolution happened for basic changes in thought, individual and social actions with guidance of a holy man.” He noted the Islamic Revolution is still alive after 34 years and will continue its existence. “Even enemies admit that Iran is one of the most independent nations in the world and nobody can impose its will on the nation; the revolution is an animate being and is growing. Islamic Revolution started in 1979 and its move is still in place both inside the country and abroad; the nation will never withdraw from its rights.” Noting Tehran’s progresses in all fields, President said that the Iranian scientists sent a living creature to space for the first time and returned it safe and sound. ˈThe professionals know that launching and returning a living creature indicates the scientific progress of the nation in dozens of fields; all the apparatus for sending the creature into space have been designed and built by the Iranian experts.ˈ Drawing an analogy between the achievements during the periods after and before the Islamic revolution, he added that the country’s cement production capacity stood at seven million tons, 32 million tons before the ninth government took office, and now it stands at more than 80 million tons. Steel production capacity was less than one million tons, Ahmadinejad said, noting that it currently stands at 20 million tons. As to Iran’s electricity production capacity, he said that the capacity was 7,000 megawatts earlier in revolution but it will exceed 76,000 megawatts by the end of the tenth government’s tenure. Hailing Iran’s progresses in various fields, the chief executive added that Iran’s capacity for production of agricultural crops stood at 25 million tons a year before the revolution, but today it hits 110 million tons. Ahmadinejad has reportedly taken part in the rallies of 22nd day of Bahman (February 10) , marking the victory anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Azadi street, Tehran. President Ahmadinejad was warmly welcomed by huge number of people attending the event. A number of President Ahmadinejad’s advisors, aides and Iranian officials accompanied him at the rally. People from all walks of life staged rallies in different areas in the capital and finally congregated in Azadi Square. Chanting “Down to USA” and “Down to Israel”, the participants renewed their convenience with the ideals of the Islamic revolution. The 22nd of Bahman (February 10) marks anniversary of victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, which overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty./end