In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Abul-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his untainted, pure, chosen Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
Congratulations on the Eid! God willing, you and your families can make the best use of these good intentions and bring to fruition what Dr. Aref, who is truly an experienced individual, has said and expressed. I find it necessary to emphasize again that I congratulate your families and spouses on this Eid, and I thank them. I’m certain that if your spouses are supportive, share your thoughts, and empathize with you in the tasks that you as officials are undertaking — whether you’re ministers, representatives in the Majlis, deputies, consultants, or heads of various departments — your work will proceed more smoothly. This also depends somewhat on your approach and behavior. When some officials start their responsibilities and work, they become so engrossed in their enthusiasm and passion for their work that they forget they have children, a spouse, responsibilities, and a home where they should eat lunch and dinner together. They completely forget. Don’t forget [these things]!
I would like to say something regarding the remarks made by Dr. Aref. What you have decided and are pursuing in your meetings and work gatherings is very good. The things you spoke of are very good. However, we have a shortcoming in the country that’s important. We don’t lack laws, we don’t lack regulations, and we don’t lack good plans. Many good plans have been proposed, discussed, and approved. What we lack is follow-up. Follow-up. Follow things up. Some of the statistics he provided really make one think. For instance, there’s the statistic on gasoline consumption that he mentioned. That figure is perhaps double the consumption that it should be in the country. This problem must be solved. It can be solved.
There have been times when the daily gasoline consumption in the country has reached, for example, 80 million or 75 million [liters], or even less. He now mentioned that it’s over 160 million liters. This [matter] needs to be followed up; it should be addressed. Matters related to schools, justice in education, and efforts made for the underprivileged and disadvantaged need to be pursued. What I am requesting from you is that you follow up on these matters. Your meetings are good, decision-making is good, and the enthusiasm and motivation of our heads and managers is very good and essential, but these things aren’t enough. You who are in positions of management, are enthusiastic and concerned, and you give orders to the next person down. He may then pass on the matter to the next person [down the line]. But in this process, these orders tend to get weaker and weaker, and it may reach a point at times where nothing gets done at all.
One of the most essential tasks is conservation. I’ve noted some points that I’ll mention later regarding this year’s slogan and such matters. However, conservation is important in electricity consumption and in the use of energy carriers. Governmental institutions themselves should conserve more than anyone else, because the government and governmental institutions are the largest consumers. The government consumes the most gasoline, it consumes the most electricity, and it’s the same for other things. Make conservation a habit.
As Saadi said, "When you have no income, don’t spend as fast for the sailors sing a song / 'If no rain falls on the mountains, the Tigris River will turn into a dry stream within a year.'" That’s how it is. Now, since we have a number of Azerbaijani speakers in the audience, "If there is no river, there is no Baghdad." This issue must be taken seriously. This was the first issue.
I have made a note here that our highest priority joint agenda in all the institutions regarding economic matters should be to support the achievement of this year's slogan. In other words, when "Investment for Production" is the slogan and everyone considers it to be their duty to contribute to this effort, this will save the country from many problems. We have a problem in investment. There’s money in people’s hands, some more and some less. That which is a talent for you — whether you’re in the Central Bank, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, or other organizations — to guide this money toward investment and [specifically] investment in production. Pursue this. It’s very important.
Of course, for the people too — that is, those who want to invest — it’s an honor to have money and be able to use it for the country’s progress and to improve the country’s situation. Remind people of this honor so they understand and take pride in this. However, the main responsibility lies with the government, by which I mean in the broader sense the system of governance. The judiciary has a role, the Majlis [Iranian Parliament] has a role, and various sectors in the Ministries have roles in making this happen. Ensure the security of investments.
There was a time several years ago when we had a meeting here in this Hussainiyah. One of my experienced, seasoned friends who has since passed away, may God rest his soul, stood up after I had spoken about attracting foreign investment. He said, "Foreign investment is secondary to domestic investment. Here, you need to create a showcase to demonstrate that domestic investors are willing, eager, and ready to invest. Foreign investors will then see that, feel encouraged, and say, ‘So it’s possible to invest here.'" Remove the obstacles to domestic investment. This is one of the best ways to thwart sanctions.
I have said this many times that the issue of sanctions has two remedies. One remedy is removing the sanctions, which isn’t in our hands. That’s in the hands of the opposing side. The other remedy is neutralizing the sanctions, which is in our hands. Find ways to neutralize the sanctions. There are many ways to do this. It’s truly possible to neutralize the effect of sanctions. In fact, if we effectively use our domestic capacities, we can make the country invulnerable to sanctions. Then if sanctions are imposed, the country can completely get itself out of any difficulty. Our domestic capacities have this potential.
The matter of expanding trade relations, as mentioned, with priority given to neighboring countries is a matter I strongly emphasize. Facilitate economic relations with countries that are economic hubs in Asia, countries such as China, Russia, and India. They are economic hubs. Of course, some of this is very difficult to do and we know that, but anything that is difficult can be accomplished by working hard and planning wisely. Therefore, the matter of relations with neighboring countries is important.
Intermediaries are also very important. That is, the middle managers who are sometimes used to import goods from a certain place. I mentioned this to someone a few days ago: During my presidency, I visited an African country that was, and still is, a major hub for livestock and agriculture. [The president of that country] told me, "The meat we produce is luxury meat. The Europeans come and buy it from us." Back then during the 1980s, everything was imported by the government, including meat.
[He continued,] “You import meat from Europe. Europe sells that same meat that has bought from us to you at double the price.” I came here and told the officials to follow up on this issue, but they didn’t. There was verbal enthusiasm, but no action taken. The matter of trade with neighboring countries, with economic hubs, with various countries, and with Africa itself, which I mentioned, these measures are very good. The contacts that the honorable president has made with the leaders of these countries on occasions such as during Eid and similar events are very good. They’re constructive. The activities of the Foreign Ministry — these trips and exchanges — are very good.
I would like to say a few words about the Oman talks. I want to emphasize that these talks are just one of the tens of tasks of the Foreign Ministry. That is, the Foreign Ministry has tens of things to do. One of those tasks is the Oman talks and the issues that have recently been brought up. You must try to not make all the country's issues dependent on those talks. This is what I want to emphasize. The mistake we made in the JCPOA mustn’t be repeated here. Back then, we made everything dependent on the progress of the negotiations. We made the country dependent on them. When a country's situation is dependent on negotiations, investors are less likely to invest. That’s obvious. Investors will say, "Let's see what the result of the negotiations is." These negotiations are just one task, one matter. They’re one of the many activities that the Foreign Ministry is engaged in.
The country must carry on with its work in various sectors — in the industrial sector, in the agriculture sector, in various services, in culture, in construction sectors, and in specific issues that have been defined specifically, like those in the southeast of the country. Pursue these with commitment. These have nothing to do with the ongoing talks that have started in Oman. This is one issue.
Furthermore, we should be neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic about those talks. After all, it’s a process and a movement. This has been decided upon and is being implemented, and it has been well executed in its initial steps. And from hereon, this must be pursued carefully as well. The red lines are clear. They’re clear for the other side, and they’re clear for us too. The negotiations should proceed in a good manner. They may lead to some result, or they may not. We’re neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic. Of course, we distrust the other side very much. We don’t trust them; we know them well. But we’re optimistic about our own capabilities. We know that we can do many things, and we are skilled in effective methods.
The issue of the Seventh Development Plan is also quite significant, and it’s finally starting this year after a delay. Efforts should be made from the very beginning to ensure that this plan doesn’t go astray like the Sixth Plan did. Certain parts of the Sixth Plan veered off course from the start. Make sure that the various sections of the Seventh Plan don’t go off track. This is a parliamentary resolution, and it’s something necessary for the country. It’s based on the general policies of our governing system. Overall, it’s a good plan. It’s the law after all, so it must be implemented. But care should be taken to execute it correctly and in line with its principles without going off track.
I would like to say something about Gaza and the events in Gaza. The criminal gang ruling over Palestine has truly exceeded all bounds of villainy. They have truly passed all boundaries. I cannot recall ever having seen such deliberate actions specifically targeting innocent people, children, ill patients, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances. It’s truly shocking. It requires an extreme level of cruelty, which this evil, criminal gang possesses.
In my opinion, the Islamic world must take action. It must do something. There needs to be strong coordination — economically, politically, and in carrying out operations, if necessary. The Islamic world must collectively think and work on this issue. Of course, they [the Zionist regime] should also be awaiting the lashes of God’s punishment. This kind of oppression will be answered with a severe divine response, and there’s no doubt about that. However, this doesn’t reduce the duty of the people, our duty, or the duty of governments. Almighty God will carry out His work, but we too must do our duty.
We are hopeful that, God willing, Almighty God will grant all Muslim nations, the Islamic Ummah, the dear people of Iran, and you, our officials, with a blessed end. May He make our endeavors easy for us and be pleased with us and our actions, God willing. Always keep God in mind in everything you do.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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