Enemies Unable To Impede Iran’s Scientific Progress: President

Tehran, Feb 2, IRNA -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Friday lashed out the arrogant powers for their efforts aimed at blocking Iranˈs scientific progress in different fields. He made the remarks in a ceremony marking the inauguration of 680 educational, training and sporting projects around the country. President Ahmadinejad said that the enemies of the Iranian nation are unable to impede Tehran’s scientific progress. “Despite the fact that enemies of the Iranian nation are doing their best to stop Tehran’s technological advancement, Islamic Republic is committed to continue its approach towards the highest scientific levels,ˈ he added. Iran has made huge achievements in various fields of science and technology, from nuclear knowledge to stem cell and nano-technology. In a most recent case, former Iranian Health Minister Marziyeh Vahid Dastjerdi announced in September that the country would soon start production of 15 types of anti-cancer drugs. “15 types of monoclonal anti-body drugs are being synthesized with the help of the Scientific Department of the Presidential Office, using hi-tech technology,ˈ Vahid Dastjerdi said at the time. Earlier this year, Iranian scientists succeeded in producing new types of medication for treating different kinds of cancer, viral diseases and arthritis with 100 percent positive results. In attempts to impede Iranˈs progress, Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry. Despite the rules enshrined in the NPT entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down Westˈs calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment. Tehran has dismissed Westˈs demands as politically tainted and illogical, stressing that sanctions and pressures merely consolidate Iraniansˈ national resolve to continue the path. Political observers believe that the United States has remained at loggerheads with Iran mainly over the independent and home-grown nature of Tehranˈs nuclear technology, which gives the Islamic Republic the potential to turn into a world power and a role model for the other Third World countries. Washington has laid much pressure on Iran to make it give up the most sensitive and advanced part of the technology, which is uranium enrichment, a process used for producing nuclear fuel for power plants./end