In an address to the audience, the Leader stated that the main feature of the 7th Majlis has been its adherence to Islamic principles and revolutionary values. He added that the performance of the 7th Majlis and its course of action have been in line with these principles and values.
"The efforts made by Majlis deputies to raise the living standards of the underprivileged and solve the people's problems, their principled and logical and clear stances on world issues, especially the nuclear issue, and their acting in coordination with the government have been among the prominent points of the 7th Majlis," the Leader pointed out.
He added that Majlis deputies, taking the country's interests into consideration, are expected to firmly follow the same course of action in the year that remains of their tenure.
Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed his appreciation for the sincere endeavors of the speaker and deputies of the 7th Majlis and assessed their performance over the past three years as positive. He added that the Iranian people who voted for the deputies of the 7th Majlis were motivated by Islamic principles and revolutionary values.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic noted that taking firm and principled stances on world issues and in confrontation with the global arrogance has been one of the strong points of the 7th Majlis.
"The logic of the Islamic system in its confrontation with the bullying and domineering policies of the United States is a well-reasoned logic that is approved of by all Muslim nations in the world and all free nations. The fact of the matter is that the Iranian people do not want their country to be dominated and their resources plundered by an aggressive and expansionist power," the Leader remarked.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the 7th Majlis in its capacity as the country's legislature has been airing the views of the Iranian nation on various issues in a logical and unambiguous manner, and he described this as something quite valuable.
The Leader further pointed out that avoiding divisive and controversial issues has been another remarkable quality of the 7th Majlis.
"The stance taken by Majlis deputies on the nuclear issue and their requiring the government to insist on the issue, which has also been advocated by the government itself, was a decision that was made based on the country's interests. This was also a strong and prominent point of the 7th Majlis," Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Republic referred to the existing coordination between the 7th Majlis and the government as among the blessings of the present tenure of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. He stated that the incumbent government, which firmly adheres to revolutionary principles, is making every effort to serve the public, and that it should be assisted and no measures should be taken to weaken the government.
"However, this does not mean that the government should not be criticized, but any criticism should be fair and sincere, and it should not be inspired by personal preference or factional interests and leanings," the Leader told the audience.
In conclusion, Ayatollah Khamenei described the year that remains of the tenure of the 7th Majlis as the year of divine trial. He called on the parliamentarians to pay attention to priorities and basic necessities and immediate requirements of the country during the remaining year free from factional or ethnic or regional considerations.
At the beginning of the meeting, Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel presented a report about the performance of the 7th Majlis over the past three years. He said that dynamism and vitality, defending the honor and independence of the country and the nation, safeguarding the Islamic principles and revolutionary values and placing emphasis on the campaign against economic corruption have been among the main qualities of the 7th Majlis.
"The deputies of the 7th Majlis have always been trying to fulfill the people's basic requirements and solve their major problems, and this course of action has been evident in their handling of all motions and bills," Haddad-Adel added.
As regards the measures that have been taken by the deputies of the 7th Majlis with respect to international issues, the speaker of the 7th Majlis referred to the holding of an international conference in Tehran in support of the Palestinian Intifada and the Holy Quds and the establishment of the association of Asian legislative assemblies in the Iranian capital as among such measures.