Hassan Rouhani appeared in a live TV program and talked to people when he covered almost all topics and his government’s achievements in foreign policy, nuclear negotiations, inflation, and political situation inside Iran.
“We had been seeking the objectives laid by the government, and we work to live up to our promises to the public,” told Rouhani to the host, however, he believed this success would be impossible except for the support and welcome by the public, clerical ulama, and the Leader of the Islamic Republic.
Asked if Rouhani thought the government had implemented its policies in the second half of the past Iranian year (ending March 21 2013); he told that the government sought in parallel several objectives. “Curbing the increasing curve of economic hardships for the public, especially its contributing factor as inflation; to solve any problem such as tackling unemployment, we should have controlled the inflation,” he added.
Rouhani pointed to his promise to down the 12-years-high inflation to 25 per cent in the current year. “We hope to achieve this considerable feat in economics. As to the price of pharmaceuticals and medical facilities, we definitely would say the greater part of problems in this sector and we predict no rise in prices of this highly sensitive public demand,” said Rouhani, who also predicted a 10 per cent decrease in the price of imported pharmaceuticals and medical facilities.
In part of the interview to Iran’s state TV channel One, Rouhani commented on his government measures in détente with the world and what he called ‘cooperation with world in foreign policy.’
“When I entered the presidential campaign, I announced that my government’s favorable path in foreign policy would be ‘reconciliation inside and with the international community.’ We are now on this track and will continue to the end,” said Rouhani, and that “our supporting asset is government and public mutual trust. We base our programs on public confidence on the cabinet.”
Rouhani pointed to the internal criticism of the nuclear negotiations led by his foreign minister Zarif. “Some minority factions inside the country would not welcome removal of sanctions. We have named some of them. A single person grabbed $ 2.7b of public money and we still do not know when it would be back to public treasury,” he said, making subtle hints at the favored individuals inside the system who exploit the possibilities of the rentier state to the end and made fortune for themselves of public money, “sanctions ruins the transparency in the economy of Iran.”
Rouhani believed that this minority would lead the government out of the main track so that to achieve their selfish interests.
On nuclear negotiations, Rouhani said that “our negotiators have taken crucial steps as the warriors in the frontline of the battle.”
“People should note that this is not solely the government’s issue, rather it is a national issue,” Rouhani asserted.
On the perspectives of the nuclear program, and in response to the notion that Iran would never normalize its relations with the world, he said that he had rejected the notion in the past, and nor he would accept that now.
“In nuclear negotiations, nation’s rights are redlines and we would not retreat back from these rights; however, how we would exploit such right depends on the system’s decision,” Rouhani emphasized.
On the question of attracting foreign investments, Rouhani told that foreign investors were highly keen on investing in Iran; however, he believed that political and economic problems inside would not be solved overnight.
Asked by the host about Iran’s possible problems with Saudi Arabia, Rouhani told that Saudi Arabia did not have any problems with Iran. “Saudi Arabia does have problems with the region. We hope that the statesmen in the Saudi Arabia understand well the conditions of the region and know well that to have a secure region, we should push terrorists aside,” he added.
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