Political savvy prescribes interaction with world: Rafsanjani

The establishment of the Expediency Council, which has been meant to break the deadlocks between the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Guardian Council, shows how farsighted the founding father of the Islamic Republic was as a political and religious leader, the chairman of the Expediency Council said.

According to Ettela’at newspaper, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani made the comment at meetings with the ministers of education and science and their deputies Monday.

On the sixth development plan, he said political and managerial savvy requires us to pay closer attention to interaction with the rest of the world in drawing up the development plan so that the so-called resistance-based economy can bolster the foundation of our infrastructure.

On the nuclear statement Iran and P5+1 released at the close of marathon talks in Lausanne, the top councilor said because of domestic needs, some parties to the talks might have different interpretations of the statement which could in turn overshadow the three months that lie ahead.

“However, as a result of the statement, the world public opinion realized that what was being said about Iran had its roots in bias,” he said.

Recalling the comments of the Supreme Leader that the choice of the public in elections should be respected and that development of nuclear weapons is forbidden, he said these two statements are central to our policies at home and aboard.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani further said Israeli anger at the nuclear statement Iran and P5+1 produced in Lausanne is part of attempts by the fake regime of Tel Aviv to secure legitimacy. “Iran’s neighbors are miscalculating in opposing the nuclear understanding, because Iran has always been a safe place for Muslims and our policies are always rooted in Islamic principles.”

He also said some individuals at home might ignore national interests and make disheartening comments in pursuit of their political and factional goals. “What has been achieved so far is a source of pride, though, and every care should be taken not to allow the final deal to be disrupted.”