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| Davos 2014: Iran ready to engage with the world, says Rouhani | Davos 2014: Iran ready to engage with the world, says Rouhani |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Iran's president has urged the rest of the world to stop treating his country as pariah state, and said a deal over its nuclear programme would pave the way for the oil-rich nation to become the next big emerging market. | |
| In an olive branch to the international community, Hassan Rouhani told a packed conference hall at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he wanted to end the standoff with the west along with the sanctions that have crippled the economy. "Come and visit Iran to see the investment opportunities," he said. | In an olive branch to the international community, Hassan Rouhani told a packed conference hall at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he wanted to end the standoff with the west along with the sanctions that have crippled the economy. "Come and visit Iran to see the investment opportunities," he said. |
| The deep freeze in Iranian and US relations has thawed in recent months and Rouhani insisted the country had no intention of using its nuclear technology as weapons, but would invest in nuclear for peaceful purposes. | The deep freeze in Iranian and US relations has thawed in recent months and Rouhani insisted the country had no intention of using its nuclear technology as weapons, but would invest in nuclear for peaceful purposes. |
| "Nuclear weapons have no place in our security strategy and Iran has no motivation to move in that direction," Rouhani said, in an address designed to show that Iran wanted to end its diplomatic isolation and fulfil its economic potential. Calling for relations with Europe to be "normalised", he said Iran could become a "top 10" economy. | "Nuclear weapons have no place in our security strategy and Iran has no motivation to move in that direction," Rouhani said, in an address designed to show that Iran wanted to end its diplomatic isolation and fulfil its economic potential. Calling for relations with Europe to be "normalised", he said Iran could become a "top 10" economy. |
| Sanctions – such as those that have cut $1bn a day off its oil production since 2012 – serve to "exacerbate divergence", Rouhani said. | |
| "I view Iran's economy as the most congruent, capable and most closest to successful emerging economies and I envisage Iran's place alongside them in the future," Rouhani said. | "I view Iran's economy as the most congruent, capable and most closest to successful emerging economies and I envisage Iran's place alongside them in the future," Rouhani said. |
| He talked of "constructive engagement" with the world and "active foreign policy" to achieve his economic goals. When asked by Klaus Schwab, the head of the WEF, if this meant good relations with all countries, Rouhani said that it was with countries "we officially recognise". | He talked of "constructive engagement" with the world and "active foreign policy" to achieve his economic goals. When asked by Klaus Schwab, the head of the WEF, if this meant good relations with all countries, Rouhani said that it was with countries "we officially recognise". |
| Israel's president, Shimon Peres, is in Davos with Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, who is addressing the delegation of 2,500 world leaders, business leaders and academics later. | |
| While no meetings are scheduled, the jets from the two countries have been seen side by side at Zurich airport. | While no meetings are scheduled, the jets from the two countries have been seen side by side at Zurich airport. |
| Rouhani stressed he had been democratically elected last year and referred to the uprisings in the Middle East, saying that culture and spirituality were also needed. "Economic factors alone are not enough to provide a better world for people," he said. | Rouhani stressed he had been democratically elected last year and referred to the uprisings in the Middle East, saying that culture and spirituality were also needed. "Economic factors alone are not enough to provide a better world for people," he said. |
| He said it was "possible to replace suicidal hopelessness with hope in the future", and added: "The security of world is intertwined with the security of the Middle East." | |
| He revealed he had met leaders of leading oil firms on Thursday morning in Davos – thought to be Eni, BP, Total and Shell – to discuss energy security. | He revealed he had met leaders of leading oil firms on Thursday morning in Davos – thought to be Eni, BP, Total and Shell – to discuss energy security. |