Iran is a vast country situated in the heart of the Middle East. To the north lies the Caspian Sea and to the south the Persian Gulf. The country occupies the western part of the Asian continent. Therefore, the stability and security of Iran has an undeniable effect on the whole region of the Middle East and West Asia.
For this reason, one of the strategic policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the Islamic Revolution has always been the safeguarding of peace and stability in the region.
Iran, which was registered in 2001 at the United Nations, has encouraged dialogue among the civilizations.
The National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran falls on Feb. 11. Since the beginning of our 2,500 years of written history, for the first time an Islamic Revolution by the nation terminated the dictatorial monarchy 29 years ago.
This was one of the major events, both from a regional and international point of view of the late years of the past century, followed by very important social and political changes in Iran. Since then, Iran, leaving behind many problems and barriers, has achieved much.
Economically, considering the ample natural and energy resources of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we have sought foreign investment to complement our own internal capabilities and capacities.
In line with this, the Law of Promotion and Protection of Foreign Investment has been ratified by the Iranian Parliament in order to facilitate foreign investment in the Iranian market. This is to achieve more active and dynamic economy in Iran.
As you are well aware oil is the main export item of Iran. In addition we export hand made carpets, caviar, pistachio nuts, steel, and machinery, as well as provide technical and engineering services.
In the field of agriculture, noting the vast agricultural area and the efforts to fertilize our deserts we have seen significant achievement in increasing our agricultural production.
For example, wheat production in Iran in 2004 reached 13.5 million tons, enabling us to be self-sufficient in this regard.
As regards industrial and mine fields, the figures show that this sector has an 11 percentage share in Iran's GDP. The most important industries in Iran are: oil, gas, petrochemicals, steel, textiles and auto-making.
It is noteworthy that last year we went beyond being a single product economy (oil and gas) expanding the non-oil exports of Iran significantly during the year.
One of the fields that saw great growth after the Islamic Revolution, is the field of education. 85.8 percent of people over 60 in Iran are literate.
The number of students in Iran is 16 million, and there are more than 2.5 million students in universities. Among them, 53.4 percent are women and 46.6 percent men.
The share of girls who entered universities of Iran last year was 64 percent.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, Since its beginning, has tried to expand its foreign relations in all fields on the basis of mutual respect and played an active and constructive role in international organizations.
One of the achievements of foreign policy of Iran has been the expansion of bilateral relations, cooperation in regional and international forums with neighboring and other countries while respecting good-neighborliness.
As nuclear energy and Iranian cooperation with the IAEA is one of the most important issues raised in newspapers these days, it is necessary to explain more in this regard.
Although it is true that Iran is rich in oil and gas, these resources are finite and, given the pace of Iran's economic development, they will be depleted within two to five decades.
With a territory of 1,648,000 sq. km and a population of about 70 million, projected to be more than 105 million in 2050, Iran has no choice but to seek access to more diversified and secure sources of energy.
Availability of electricity to 46,000 villages now, just as an example, demonstrates the fast growing demand for more energy.
And the youthfulness of the Iranian population, with around 70 percent under age 30, doesn't allow complacency when it comes to energy policy. To satisfy such growing demands, Iran can't rely exclusively on fossil energy.
Since Iranian national economy is still dependent on its oil revenue, it can't allow the ever-increasing domestic demand to affect the oil revenues from its oil exports.
It is good to mention that Iran's quest for nuclear energy picked up momentum following a study in 1974 carried out by the prestigious U.S.-based Stanford Research Institute, which predicted Iran's need for nuclear energy and recommended the building of nuclear plants capable of generating 20,000 megawatts of electricity before 1994.
Now, 34 years later, Iran aims at reaching that level by 2020, which may save Iran 190 million barrels of crude oil or $10 billion per year in today's prices.
Therefore, Iran's nuclear program is neither ambitious nor economically unjustifiable.
Diversification ― including the development of nuclear energy ― is the only sound and responsible energy strategy for Iran.
Producing fuel for its nuclear power plants is an integral part of Iran's nuclear energy policy.
While domestic production of fuel for this number of nuclear power plants makes perfect economic sense, Iran's decision should not be judged solely on economic grounds.
Having been a victim of a pattern of deprivation from peaceful nuclear material and technology, Iran cannot solely rely on procurement of fuel from outside sources.
Such dependence would in effect hold Iran's multi-billion dollar investment in power plants hostage to the political whims of suppliers in a tightly controlled market.
Furthermore, it is self evident that the time-consuming efforts to gain the necessary technology to develop the capability for fuel production must proceed simultaneously with the acquisition and construction of nuclear power plants.
Otherwise, constructed plans may become obsolete in case of denial of fuel without a contingency capacity to produce it domestically.
Iran today is the strongest country in its immediate neighborhood. It does not need nuclear weapons to protect its regional interests.
There is also a fundamental ideological objection to weapons of mass destruction, including a religious decree issued by the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran prohibiting the development, stockpiling or using of nuclear weapons.
Iran firmly believes that peaceful use of nuclear energy is the right of all countries in the world and this technology should not be the monopoly of some ambitious countries.
In conformity to this, Iran has worked closely with the IAEA, during the course of the last two years, to deal with the issues and questions raised about its peaceful nuclear program.
The agency's thorough inspections of Iran have repeatedly confirmed Iran's assertion that no amount of inspection and scrutiny will ever show the slightest diversion into military activity.
Furthermore, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in his address to the General Assembly on Sept. 17, 2005, made yet another far reaching offer of added guarantee by inviting international partnership in Iran's enrichment activities.
Since reason and religion in Iran is against the use of weapons of mass destruction, Iran, while declaring non-existence of nuclear weapons in its doctrine, has done its utmost efforts in regional and international forums to declare the Middle East as a region free from weapons of mass destruction.
Since 1979, Iran has followed the extension of more profound relations with the Northeast Asian region, through a new look ``East Policy'' in particular with East Asian Countries, including new economic powers emerging in the world such as China and Japan and, beyond any doubt, the Republic of Korea occupies a special position in this regard.
The relations between Iran and Republic of Korea are very close and cordial. The government and the People of Iran aspire to strengthen these friendly relationships.
The friendship and cooperation between the two countries is based on long-standing historical and cultural ties, as well as on complementary economic interests.
The two countries friendly and cooperative relations are marked by the exchange of high-level official visits, as well as by the frequent exchange of delegations in the private sector between the two countries.
Korea is a very important trading partner for Iran. It is one of Iran's top five trading partners.
Korean trading and construction companies are increasingly engaged in Iran.
Bilateral economic relations have increased rapidly, but further consolidation and improvement is required, in view of the tremendous mutual potential benefit.
Last year, the 10th Joint Economic Commission on bilateral agenda was held in Seoul.
Under the new Foreign Investment Law of Iran, there are opportunities for foreign investors on very attractive terms in almost all sectors including infrastructure development, industrial joint venture partnerships, oil and gas fields development, agriculture and even the services sector.
Iran is a rich country in oil and gas. There are many development projects in this field. Noting that Iran plans to invest $140 billion in different development projects of oil and gas, signifies the vast volume of investment opportunities for foreigners.
Investment in all fields of production like petrochemicals, vessels, tankers, car making, electronics, etc., is remunerative too.
As these investments produce goods not only for Iran's market but also can be exported to the vast markets of Central Asia, the Persian Gulf and other neighboring countries which consist of more than 300 million population.
Therefore, there are plenty of promising areas of investment by Korean companies in Iran, especially in the free trade zones (FTZ).
Cheap energy, cheap but highly qualified labor forces, ample natural resources and tax immunity for foreign investment are some of the advantages available in these zones.