Sanctions Have Roots In Weak Logic Of Powers: Iran President

Tehran, Sept 26, IRNA - Hegemonic powers' sanctions and pressures against nations have roots in their weak logic toward independent states, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here on Tuesday. Iranian president made the remarks in a meeting with the Bolivian President Evo Morales. 'Sanctions can't affect the nations' desire to be independent from world powers.' Referring to the similar stances of Tehran and Bolivia in achieving the goals of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Ahmadinejad stressed that the movement needs a new structure to fulfill its ideals. 'Iran and Bolivia will stand together as two brothers; International powers themselves are facing internal social and economic problems and as a result, they can't interfere in other countries' internal affairs and this is an opportunity for the independent states to progress forward,' Iranian president noted. Bolivian president, for his part, declared his support for the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement resolution in Tehran and congratulated Iran's success in holding the high-level summit. Morales called also for the expansion of relations with Tehran in all fields. Iran has in recent years expanded friendly ties with Latin America, especially in economic, trade and industrial fields. Since taking office in 2005, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expanded Iran's cooperation with many Latin American states, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Cuba. Iran assumed the rotating presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement from Egypt for three years during the early September summit in Tehran In case of US and EU embargos against Tehran, it should be noted that 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 Non-Proliferation Treaty (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 West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment. Tehran has dismissed the West's demand as politically tainted and illogical, stressing those sanctions and pressures to merely consolidate Iranians' national resolve to continue the path./end