Government fulfilled every promise made to people

Speaking in a press conference with domestic and foreign media reporters on Monday, President Rouhani said, “We took over the government in the face of stagflation with a negative growth of 7.7 percent and inflation of above 30 percent. In 2014, we both achieved economic growth and reduced inflation to about 15 percent.”

Stating that the government had the lowest oil revenue in 2014, he added, “During the last 7 years,  the country had the best conditions in terms of reducing inflation in the three years of 2015, 2016 and 2017. In these 7 years, we have fulfilled every promise we made to the people.”

“Our promise was moderation, constructive interaction with the world, the lifting of sanctions on the people, and the registration of nuclear rights for the Iranian people,” Rouhani noted.

“The actions we took during this period were good economic management,” he added.

Iranian President went on to say, “We were able to save the country from severe inflation and become self-sufficient in energy, gas, gasoline and diesel.”

He stated, “We approached self-sufficiency in wheat and to some extent in sugar and rice, and we reached self-sufficiency in the field of gas, petrol and diesel, which we were previously importers”.

“For the first time, Iran’s sweet gas production in the twelfth government reached one billion cubic metres,” said the President.

Rouhani stated that the putting into operation of important railway projects will begin by the end of this government, and said, “One of the honours of this government is the transformation in rail transportation, including wagon construction, locomotive manufacturing and production of railways.”

“We have connected the provinces of Hamedan, Kermanshah, West Azerbaijan and Gilan to the nationwide railway system, and by the end of this government we will connect the Caspian Sea to the railways in Gilan and the Caspian to Rasht,” he continued.

JCPOA disgraced Trump three times at UN

Elsewhere in his remarks, he further referred to the issue of COVID-19 outbreak and said, “Regarding coronavirus, we started a proportionate management from the beginning and we are one of the countries that regularly provided accurate statistics to the people, and you know that in this regard, not all countries did this.”

The government does not have time to address the misleading issues and the government is dedicated to providing services to the people until the last day in office, he said, adding, “We do not have time to answer some allegations and this not because we are week, but it is because we do not have time to do so.”

Rouhani emphasized, “The government wants to spend its time serving the people until the last day and provide services, and one of the services that the government is pursuing strongly is to break the sanctions, and it is very hopeful that it will take good steps in this regard because Trump’s economic war has failed and the whole world recognises that they have lost this war.”

The president said that the whole world is pressuring the United States to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), adding, “Trump’s main goal was to ruin the JCPOA, which was unsuccessful, and of course, some people inside wanted the deal to be ruined.”

“We did our best to keep the deal alive so that it could play its role in the country again in due time. We have achieved our rights in the JCPOA, and of course, we do not mean that the negotiations and the agreement that have been reached are perfect; only God is flawless, and everything in the world has flaws and shortcomings, and there may be flaws in this agreement, but it is a relatively important historical agreement and it is certainly unprecedented in the history of Iran and in the history of the region. I do not think that one country can negotiate with the six major countries and succeed under sanctions,” Rouhani said.

The president said, “Some people wanted to ruin the JCPOA so that there would not be such deal, but we kept it, and this JCPOA stood against Trump at the United Nation.”

He continued, “One of the services of our Government was that it did not prevent the JCPOA from being ruined and to be able to play its role again.”

Government doesn’t let some people to delay lift of sanctions

Rouhani further referred to the lift of sanctions and said, “The end of the sanctions means that people have achieved one of their absolute rights, and the end of sanctions by the United States means that economic terrorism and crime have stopped.”

Emphasizing that the government will not allow some people to delay the lift of the sanctions, the President said, “There are some who want the lift of sanctions to be delayed, but we will not consent to this for a minute and we will stand against them. These sanctions must be broken and this is the right of the people. The United States must return to the commitments it has already made, and as we said before, if everyone returns to their full commitments, we will return to our full commitments.”

Territorial integrity important for Iran

“Iran-Turkey relations are very important and we are neighbors who have political and economic relations and discuss regional issues,” said Rouhani referring to recent remarks of Turkish President about Aras River on the Iranian-Azerbaijani border, adding, “Of course, the issue of Iran’s territorial integrity and position is also of particular importance.”

Also, referring to the recent explanations of Turkish Foreign Minister in a telephone conversation with the Iranian Foreign Minister on President Erdogan’s speech at Baku and his stress on the necessity of cooperation of Turkey, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on regional issues, Iranian President said that given his knowledge of Erdogan, he unlikely meant to insult Iran’s territorial integrity.

“Territorial integrity is important for us,” Rouhani stressed.

Response to Fakhrizadeh assassination at ‘proper time, place’

“The main goal of the Zionist regime in assassinating Martyr Fakhrizadeh was to create instability and war in the last days of Trump,” said President Rouhani, adding that Iran reserves right to take revenge at “proper time and place”.

Iran not to re-negotiate JCPOA

Stating that Iran is interested in expanding relations with European and Western countries and its neighbors, President said, “If the other side and the P5 + 1 return to 2017, we are also ready, and this will be operational and implemented in a short time.”

He also stressed that the JCPOA is not negotiable, saying that “If all the parties implemented the JCPOA, we will implement it too.”

Rouhani highlighted that missile issues have nothing to do with the JCPOA and Iran won’t negotiate the terms of the JCPOA again.

Iran acts based on framework of national regulations

Referring to the recent statements of some European and Western countries over the execution of Ruhollah Zam, Rouhani said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has an independent Judiciary that works based on national law and Europe’s sensitivity regarding the death penalty is considered interference in Iran’s internal affairs.

All countries must work according to their legal framework and this issue will not undermine bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic and EU, he added.