President in a meeting with Foreign Minister, deputies, senior managers:

Foreign policy closely tied to national integrity/ FM entire Iranian nation’s representative

Stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a specialised organ and its workers are the trusted by the entire system in foreign policy, President said, “Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the trustee of the country and protector of the nation’s rights”.

Speaking on Tuesday in a meeting with Foreign Minister, his deputies, and the senior managers of the ministry, President Hassan Rouhani said, “Today, Dr Zarif is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran with ample experience and talent in politics”.

He continued, “Foreign minister is the representative of the entire Iranian nation, not of a single faction or group. He only speaks on behalf of the Iranian nation, which is a source of national honour”.

Extensive interaction with the world is recommended by the Supreme Leader, and the entire system’s decision, said Rouhani, adding, “Today, I emphasise constructive interaction and consider the ministry of foreign affairs more qualified than any other section in this regard”.

Describing the great economic achievements after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) undeniable, he said, “Neither friends not enemies could claim that the JCPOA has been to the detriment of the Iranian nation”.

“If it were not for the hard work of Dr Zarif and his good colleagues and the help of the Atomic Energy Organisation and other organs, the JCPOA could not be reached,” said Rouhani.

The President continued, “Foreign policy is closely tied to national integrity. If we want to have an integrated nation, we need to have integrated foreign policy”.

He continued, “As the President, I express my opinions to the people, but sign and forward legal decisions if I do not favour them”.

Stating that, “I testify that Dr Zarif has bravely and trustfully expressed his expert opinions in all meetings,” he said, “My main campaign slogan was constructive interaction with the world in foreign policy, and I put it to people’s vote”.

Dr Rouhani also went on to say, “Conflict is easy and does not need any skill; but constructive interaction is hard and arduous”.

“As long as Article 6 of the Constitution stands, the United States’ pressure and sanctions for nation and system change will be ineffective,” continued the President.

He added, “The role of Article 59 is to help implement Article 6, and guarantees the stability of the system and running the country based on people’s opinion and support”.

The President continued, “The official language and people’s language regarding the national currency must be the same and real”.

Stating that, “Nobody has a higher position than being people’s representative,” he said, “Constructive interaction with the world is what people want and voted for”.

Logic and cause are alongside each other, not against, said Rouhani, adding, “Assigning the responsibility for nuclear talks to the foreign minister was done under Supreme Leader’s opinion, and laid the ground for the Geneva Agreement in less than hundred days after the government took office”.

He said, “The negotiation table was there for eight years to no avail; some opposition after Geneva Agreement was natural,” referring to a similar historical event as saying, “After the peace treaty, hardliners began whining outside Prophet Muhammed's tent”.

“No negotiation achieves maximum results,” said the President, adding, “Our key goal was to make the world understand that, contrary to what the US claims, it is us who are logical and interactive, not them”.

Dr Rouhani added, “Dr Zarif is a skilful, globally-renowned artist and diplomat, with a seasoned and capable team”.

“Inside and outside no one believed that six Chapter-VII resolutions would be abolished by the Security Council itself,” he continued.

Dr Rouhani also went on to say, “If the rest of the signatories leave the JCPOA, its historic honour will remain for the Iranian nation”.

Stating that, “The Zionists opposed the JCPOA from the beginning, and will continue to be against it to the end,” he said, “Trump made one correct statement, and that was that Iran has never failed in any negotiation”.

“JCPOA was successful because of the work of all officials, especially the foreign ministry,” he said, adding, “If it were not for the efforts of Dr Zarif and his good colleagues, the help of the Atomic Energy Organisation and other organs, it would not have been succeeded”.

“Some became upset about the pouring of foreign companies into Iran, full hotels and post-JCPOA economic interactions,” continued Dr Rouhani.

He added, “The December 2017 unrest led Trump into a miscalculation and, ultimately, strategic error”.

The President continued, “America's loneliness in international organisations and after its withdrawal from the JCPOA was the result of our foreign minister’s endeavours”.

“Trump was left alone on the JCPOA, Palestine and Golan,” said Rouhani, adding, “Our permanent achievement was that the world understood that Iran stands by its commitments”.

He said, “Are America's isolation in the world over the past year, and its consecutive failures in The Hague, deniable achievements?!”.

Some view national successes as small and failures as big, he continued, adding, “The recent legal victories against the US in The Hague were greater than Dr Mossadegh's success”.

The President said, “America is plagued with contradiction; they speak of unconditional negotiation and then impose sanctions on the Supreme Leader and the Foreign Minister”.

“No negotiations with the current US government can be imagined without the permission of the Supreme Leader and the management of the Foreign Minister,” said Rouhani.

He also went on to say, “If the United States really wants to negotiate, it must lift all sanctions before any action is taken”.

“America's actions are economic terrorism; the only way for the US administration is real repentance,” he said, adding, “I emphasise again, peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars”.

“Security against security, strait against strait, peace against peace, and oil against oil; this is what we say,” he added.

The President continued, “The downing of the American drone with an Iranian missile was a symbol of Iran’s authority”.

He also went on to say, “British vessels had long been violating maritime navigation rules, but we were overlooking it”.

President Rouhani continued, “The relative calmness in the market and the economic indices in recent months show that we are on the right track”.

“The sanctions will make the Iranian nation stronger; we will certainly overcome the problems,” added Rouhani.