Iran’s President Rouhani Vows Efforts to Boost National Production

In a televised address from the quake-hit western province of Kermanshah on Tuesday night, President Rouhani described the past Iranian year as the year of success for the great Iranian nation in various fields despite the hostile plans of enemies.

“The unity among the Iranian nation has surprised all enemies and they admitted to the greatness of our people,” the president’s official website quoted him as saying.

“As the Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei) said, the new year is the year of national production, supporting Iranian goods and the year of employment and progress,” Rouhani noted.

“I congratulate the great Iranian nation in every corner of this country and all Iranians around the world, as well as those neighboring countries that celebrate Nowruz,” the president added.

“We must remember those who have chosen to serve the people instead of sitting at home, doctors, nurses, pilots, drivers, border guards, the police and all those who are at the oil wells, control rooms of the ambulances, firefighter trucks and on the roads to serve the people,” he added.

“Last year was the year of victory and success of the Iranian nation, especially during the elections,” the president said.

“At the time when tragic incidents happened in the country, the great Iranian nation displayed another victory to the world,” he added, noting, “When our people saw unrest on the streets and felt that the security of their society was in danger, they came on the stage and announced it clearly that criticism and protest are people’s right but they would not tolerate violence and unlawfulness.”

He also said that the enemies sought to take advantage of protests to break the Iranian nation, adding, “But the unity of the Iranian nation surprised them and they admitted to the greatness of this nation.”

Pointing to his administration’s measures in various fields last year, President Rouhani said, “Although we had shortage of water, but our farmers achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production and will do the same in the new year.”

“Our engineers and workers, and those who have been working in the railway projects in different provinces throughout the country, connected Hamedan and Kermanshah to the nationwide railway network and will do the same for three other provinces as well,” he added.

“Last year, our employment rate was unparalleled in the history of our country, and in the new year, we must mark a higher rate,” he stressed, adding that his cabinet will continue to fight poverty.

“The new year is the year of investment and production. We must all attempt to increase production. Our power will be alongside our production and it is our entrepreneurs who can take significant steps in the new year,” the president said.

“My next request is from our dear young generation, whom the future of the country belongs to, to continue working on the path of making the country proud. What is important for all of us is the pride of Islam and Iran, and the welfare and the Iranian nation,” the president added.

“The government is committed to the employment, vitality and freedom for the young generation, and their continued access to information,” he explained.

“Of course, we need a secure, easy and inexpensive cyberspace with morality and spirituality,” Rouhani noted, adding that the people would see more transparency in the new year.

In the end, President Rouhani prayed for blessings, morality, tolerance, unity and integrity for the Iranian nation, as well as progress and development for the country.

New Iranian year 1397 began at 16:15 GMT on Tuesday, coincident with the spring equinox, an astronomical event that marks the start of spring in the northern hemisphere.

In a Nowruz message, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei named 1397 “The Year of Support for Iranian Products”.