Iranian, Armenian cultures, civilizations enjoy strong bonds: Khatami

IRNA, Iran
Sept 9 2004

Yerevan, Sept 9, IRNA — Visiting Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
here Thursday said that the Iranian and Armenians cultures and
civilizations have had strong bonds from the dawn of history.
Addressing Armenian scientists, intellectuals, scholars, and
university professors at the State University of Yerevan, he said
Iranians and Armenians have always acted as pillars of civilization
in the Iranian plateau.

“One of the very interesting facts about our common past is that
even the differences in religious creeds, that usually cause serious
cleavage among the people of the same regions, have not been able
to break the bonds of friendship between the peoples of ancient Iran
and Armenia.”

Even during the modern period of nation-state formation, when border
disputes between the old empires and the new states lead to various
forms of territorial and non-territorial disputes, not only there
were no discords between Iran and Armenia, but also the ties between
the two countries grew much stronger than ever before, the Iranian
president noted.

As to Iran-Armenia scientific, industrial, political and cultural
cooperation, he said Armenia and Armenians played a great part in
the constitutional revolution of Iran and profoundly supported that
national cause of the Iranians.

The Armenians played an important part in the development and victory
of the Islamic Revolution and in the establishment of the Islamic
Republic by engaging in an epic and memorable struggle in its support,
he added.

The establishment and further development of many new educational,
scientific, and industrial institutions in Iran is indebted to the
worthy measures taken by the people of Armenia, he said adding that
the share of the Armenians in opening up the prospects of modern
development and progress to Iran is of very great significance.
Among Iranians, Armenians are well-known for their honesty, gentleness,
integrity, and love of freedom, he said adding, “Our Armenian
compatriots have always been a party to all our joys and sorrows.”

These have been the root cause of the positive attitude that the
Iranians have towards Armenians, the president said noting, “This
great asset can be utilized by our thinkers and scholars to develop
our better and greater common future.”

Elsewhere in his speech President Khatami underlined the need to
establish a constructive pattern and to create a greater conceptual
understanding between the two nations.

In the process of carrying out Dialogue among Civilizations,
reaching a mutual understanding is of far greater significance
than coming to a common decision and a common viewpoint, he added.
The prerequisite for achieving a mutual understanding of course is
nothing but expanding mutual contacts, the president said adding that
contact is the prerequisite for the materialization of dialogues.
President Khatami further expressed his pleasure for witnessing that
the scientific and cultural relations between Armenia and Iran have
taken the form of a very orderly dialogue, and that certain aspects
of each civilization and culture have become subject of discussion and
the means of establishing further cooperation. The special attention
paid by Armenian universities to the teaching of the Persian language,
and the outstanding participation of Iranian professors and students
in the educational environments in Armenia is a manifestation of
the determination of both nations to expand bilateral relations,
he reiterated.

“We should have no doubt whatsoever that this expansion of relations
will lead to the establishment of a deeper mutual understanding and to
the safeguarding of the historical assets which the two civilizations
have inherited,” the president concluded.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress