At his first press conference since he was officially announced Iran’s new president, on Saturday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pledged to form a moderate government after taking office in August.
More than 500 journalists attended the gathering as the hard-line religious conservative announced: "Without any doubt, the government that comes out of the will of the people will be a government of affection and moderation, a government of friendship, a government of tolerance. The government will not recognize false political borders. The government will serve all the people with different ideas, of different ethnicities and languages and tastes. The government belongs to all Iranians. It is a government of 70 million [people]." Ahamdinejad also said that Iran has the right to develop peaceful nuclear technology. He said Iran will carry on with its nuclear programs: “Based on the national interests of the Islamic republic of Iran, and with emphasis on the right of the Iranian nation to peaceful nuclear technology, we will continue negotiations. My colleagues are negotiating. But there should be mutual trust building. We will defend the right of the Iranian nation seriously. Today [you cannot find] anyone in Iran who will not stress the right to peaceful nuclear technology. This is the definite path of our people."
Ahmadinejad says Iran needs nuclear energy to generate electricity and for medical purposes. He said Iran's nuclear program is the result of the work of young Iranians.
Officials in Tehran deny accusations by the United States that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Earlier today Iran's foreign ministry said that Tehran's nuclear policies will not change under Ahmadinejad's presidency. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said decisions about foreign policy are reached by consensus.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is said to have the support of the supreme leader has also said in Sunday's press conference that Iran does not need to establish formal diplomatic relations with the United States. Washington broke off formal relations in 1979 when students stormed the American embassy in Tehran , taking 52 of the embassy staff as hostages.
Ahmadinejad says Iran is ready to develop ties with any country that does not view Tehran as an enemy. He continued: “We would like to develop relations based on justice and mutual respect with all countries and nations. The policy of the Islamic Republic regarding the United States has been announced many times. Our nation today is moving on the path to progress and elevation by believing in itself. And on this path, there is no significant need for [relations with] the United States."
When asked about concerns that human rights in Iran could deteriorate under his presidency, Ahmadinejad said that "liberty lies in the spirit of the Islamic revolution."
The president-elect says Iranians have understood the meaning of freedom since the collapse of the regime of the Shah, Mohahammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979. He says Tehran also is concerned about human rights violations in different parts of the world, including in Europe.
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