President Hassan Rouhani says the era of "extremism" and "security atmosphere" has come to an end, emphasizing that he will remain committed to the pledges he made during his presidential campaign.
The president was speaking in a gathering of people in the northern province of Golestan on Tuesday, IRNA reported.
Rouhani pointed to a string of rejections of his candidates for minister of higher education by parliament and said, "If it had been essential, I would have proposed 50 other candidates to the Majlis; however, I don't have the slightest doubt that I will keep to the path that I have taken. The era of extremism and security atmosphere has passed."
Parliament voted to approve Rouhani's fifth choice for the ministry in late November ending a months-long standoff between the Majlis and the president.
From August, when the Majlis gave a vote of no confidence to then higher education minister Reza Faraji-Dana, until the lawmakers' recent vote to approve new minister Mohammad Farhadi, the ministry was run by a caretaker.
The conservative members of parliament had accused Faraji-Dana and Rouhani's other nominees of sympathizing with the unrest which occurred after the 2009 presidential election or remaining silent on the events that are referred to as "sedition".
Rouhani was elected in June last year promising to create a government based on "prudence and hope" as well as "moderation and transparency" in the manner the country is run. He also pledged to address civil rights and promote social freedoms and the standard of living, among other things.
"We will continue following our path in the new era of unity and free society. The culture of moderation, the culture of development, friendship and brotherhood as well as interaction with the world is a path that Islam has set for us," the president said.
Nation United Against Corruption
Elsewhere, he underlined that it is incumbent upon all people to respect the Constitution and the law, adding that "No one can violate the law and all those who have breached the law should know that the nation will stand united against corruption."
The president pointed to the outcome of the latest round of talks between Iran and the major powers over Tehran's nuclear program and said, "Over the past 15 months, we have taken 15 significant steps to resolve the nuclear issue, and today, we are in a position to say that the world has accepted the main aspects of the country's nuclear program."
"Today, the world accepts that enrichment will be carried out on Iranian soil; the world accepts that we will have a heavy water reactor in Arak; the world accepts that we will continue research and development (R&D) program; the world accepts that we will proceed with our activities at Fordo [nuclear enrichment facility)," Rouhani said.
Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) held a last-minute round of talks in Vienna from November 18 to 24, but failed for a second time this year to meet a target date to reach a long-term settlement to the 12-year dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program. The parties agreed to extend the talks for seven more months until June 30, 2015.
They also agreed to continue meeting their commitments under an interim nuclear deal they reached in Geneva in late 2013, as part of which, Tehran undertook to temporarily scale down parts of its nuclear activities in exchange for a limited easing of sanctions.
The president noted that the world has realized that it is time to end anti-Iran sanctions. "We regard the removal of the cruel sanctions as our inalienable right just as we see access to advanced nuclear technology as our right."
He said the world needs Iran to improve global security and economic situation, adding that a large number of foreign companies are preparing to do business with Iran in the coming months.
