Tehran, Feb 10, IRNA � President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that independence, freedom and national sovereignty are the achievements of Iran's Islamic Revolution.


The president made the remarks in his address to the Tehran-based diplomatic corps and foreign representatives.

President Rouhani said that independence, freedom, national sovereignty and cultural independence are the fruits of the revolution that are unprecedented in Iran history compared to the past centuries.

He said that despite opposition of the world powers, Iranian people have over the past 37 years brought to victory a big revolution in a bid to ensure their independence, freedom and national sovereignty.

He said that Iranian people have since the victory of the revolution sought good relations with the neighbors and the world countries, though it was subject to military aggression.

'However, our people withstood the aggressions with national resolve and reaped victory afterwards.'

'Over the past years, Iran was exposed to illegal and tyrannical sanctions. However, today, we are happy that we managed to leave behind one of the important and complicated international dilemma concerning Iran's peaceful nuclear program through talks. End of the talks showed all of us that instead of violence and pressure, instead of sanctions and instead of confrontation, one can look for a less costly and better substitute and alternative for the world complicated issues; the substitute is nothing but logic, reason and engagement within framework of the international law and within boundaries of mutual respect.'

He said that since the first day of taking office in the past 30 months, his government showed to the world that Iranian nation will solve nuclear problem through dialogue if is treated with respect and dignity rather than sanctions.

'In the 30-month talks, we were treated with the language of respect and dignity rather than language of pressure and humiliation; we did see that when our nation faces mutual respect and dignity, will be able to sit with the world powers and finally settle complicated political, legal and technical problems.'

The president said that the major part of achievements of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was that the world people did understand that Iran does not fear reality and the people are the people of peace and peace seeking.

'Iranian people have not made invasion on any country over the past decades and centuries. There were few states stirred up Iranphobia, endeavoring to drive the constructive engagement and agreement to deadlock.'

'The Islamic Republic of Iran has never had any eye on any country; it has not meddled on internal affairs of any country and will not do so in the future either. What is of importance for the Islamic Republic of Iran is stability and security of the region and campaign against violence and terrorism. This is exactly what Iran initiated the idea of World against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) at the UN.'

'What's of importance for us is stern campaign against terrorism in the region and restoration of stability and security to the sensitive Middle East region. We were present in Iraq and Syria at the level of a few military advisors at the invitation of the governments of the two countries.'

Emphasizing that Iran's main goal is campaign against terrorism in the two countries to end instability in the entire region, President Rouhani said, 'Is the country, which welcomes invitation of the neighboring and friendly governments and people of the countries and is fighting terrorism, a danger for the region or a country which attacks its neighbors or poses abundant problems and security to life of the people? What we want is friendly relations with the regional countries; we will neither be the initiator of tension in the region nor want escalation.'

'As representatives of your country in Iran, you witnessed and experienced, Iranian people are peace seekers and support security of the region and are against terrorism. They have paid heavy cost for campaign against terrorism and they have themselves been victim of it; in my country, there have been more than 17,000 martyrs of the terrorism operations of the terrorist groups.'

 

'After the JCPOA and end of sanctions, we will seek cordial relations with the regional and world countries. Iran is ready to cooperate with friendly countries in the areas of economy, science and technology and winning common markets; This is something started with certain groups of countries.'

'Regarding its geographical standing in the region, Iran can serve as the cheapest way, linking the west with the east both in the air, on roads, railways; it can also link energy, oil and gas pipelines and many countries to the free waters; engagement with the country will be to the benefit of the world economy and in favor of the world trade. Cheep products will be available to the people of the region and the world; so we are ready to expand our relations with many countries in the fields of economy, science, technology and tourism; the ground is prepared for engagement with the world.'

Elsewhere in his address, President Rouhani said, 'We are determined as in the past to help people of our region in terms of regional security and stability. As already warned, terrorism is a danger not only for our region and for the entire world as well. We should confront terrorism and its root causes; We should fight ignorance, poverty and unemployment in the region; if you want terrorism is uprooted in the region, we should settle problems and intricacies of the region.'

No peace lover in the world will admit that a nation remaining homeless in the region for about 70 years , said President Rouhani, adding, 'Palestinian nation has been rendered homeless for about 70 years.'

He said if terrorism is not confronted seriously, it will spread to other region, to Asia, to Europe, to Africa and other parts of the world.
'Campaign against terrorism will not be possible with words, superficial coalitions, and aerial bombardment; all countries of the region and the world should decide to confront terror, violence and extremism and come to the conclusion that terrorists can never be a good tool for policies and goals of any country.'

Any country thinking that it can achieve its regional and political goals in the region through supporting terrorism has made a mistake and blunder, said President Rouhani, adding, 'Today, under the current circumstances in the region, it is a humanitarian duty to end massacres. Years of homelessness, living in deserts, destruction of houses, plundering oil of nations through terrorists and selling it to other countries at cheep price can not be acceptable to our community today.'

He said huge immigrations in the region has shown and will show how terrorism can create diversified problems and dangers for the region and the world.

'We are ready for campaign against violence and terrorism, cooperation with regional countries for economic growth and development in the region and we are ready for cooperation with regional and world countries in offering humanitarian assistance to the nations that are under tough conditions in the winter season due to pressures of terrorism. Our demand is having close and friendly relations with world countries; you can be ambassadors of our goals to the world. As being ambassadors of your countries to the Islamic Republic of Iran, you can explain realities of the country to others as you witnessed and touched.'

'We should know that we are under a global situation that can confront world and regional problems through constructive engagement, through friendship, through cooperation and partnership, thus providing a better future for our nations.'

By IRNA