Ahmadinejad Stresses Iran's Astonishing Progress after Islamic Revolution

Feb 11, '13 10:20 AM for everyone

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad underscored Tehran's scientific, technological, industrial and agricultural advancements despite the sanctions and restrictions imposed on the country by the West during the last 34 years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Addressing a large number of people commemorating the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution 1979 in Tehran on Sunday, Ahmadinejad said that the country's cement production capacity stood at seven million tons before the Islamic Revolution in Iran and now it stands at more than 80 million tons.

Steel production capacity was less than one million tons, he said, noting that it currently stands at 20 million tons.

As to Iran's electricity production capacity, he said that the capacity was 7,000 megawatts in early days of Revolution but it will exceed 76,000 megawatts by the end of the tenth government's tenure.

Hailing Iran's progresses in various fields, the chief executive added that Iran's capacity for production of agricultural crops stood at 25 million tons a year before the revolution but today it hits 110 million tons.

In similar remarks in October, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei hailed the country's experts and scientists for their strenuous efforts which have resulted in Iran's rapid scientific advancement, and urged the country's researchers not to hesitate one moment about continuing their firm movement on the path of progress.

Addressing a large number of young elites in Tehran at the time, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed pleasure in the atmosphere of dialogue and interaction dominating the country's scientific move and progress, but meantime urged the Iranian scientists to accelerate their efforts.

"Of course there is one concern that a status of satiation and satisfaction will be created due to the country's rapid scientific move and this is while we are still at the start of the path and this (present) scientific speed should not be decelerated or stopped," he underlined.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran is lagging behind the world's top countries in area of science and technology because it had been ruled by dependent, ignorant and autocratic rulers for centuries.

Thus, this wide distance with the world's top scientific powers and the existence of rather powerful rivals in the region double the necessity for Iran's accelerated scientific move towards a top position in area of science which deserves the Iranian nation's prestige, he added.

Iran has taken wide strides in science and technology, particularly in medical and medicinal fields, in recent years.

Source: FNA