TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Sunday his administration has managed to export products worth more than 50 billion U.S. dollars since he took office in August 2021.
Raisi made the remarks in a speech at the opening ceremony of the 5th Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran Expo 2023), Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
Iran was mainly known for its oil industry while its other capabilities were neglected, said the Iranian president, adding his administration had set up trade offices abroad to more effectively present Iran's scientific and economic prowess to the rest of the world.
While lauding the country's economic and industrial achievements, Raisi said the "enemies" were working tirelessly to obstruct Iran's scientific and technological progress.
Despite the hostility of the "enemies," Iranian experts and scientists have managed to develop domestically technologies in a variety of fields, including those in the defense and nuclear industries, as well as come up with original theories and ideas.
Citing the United States officials' admission that the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran has ended in "abject failure," Raisi said the reason for the U.S. "fiasco" is the Iranian scientists' advancements in various scientific and technological fields.
In addition, Iranian traders and businessmen have managed to "bypass and neutralize" the U.S. sanctions, said Raisi, adding that Iran Expo 2023 is a manifestation of the country's capabilities.
Raisi emphasized that his administration has not tied the country's development and production to the negotiations on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal and will not do so in the future, noting that Iran will nevertheless continue the nuclear negotiations.
He said while Iran proceeded with the nuclear negotiations with "honor and dignity," the United States left the negotiating table, violated its commitments and broke its promises.
According to IRNA, 750 Iranian companies and representatives from 60 countries, including China, Russia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, attended Iran Expo 2023, which will be open to visitors by Wednesday.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The U.S., however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.
The talks on the JCPOA's revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022. ■
