"Today, the ill-wishers of this nation, on the other side of the world, have fallen from the seat of power with disgrace and notoriety, while the Iranian nation, is tall, proud and lively, and has welcomed the spring of nature and the spring of life," Rouhani said in his message to the nation on the occasion of the Persian New Year or Nowruz on Saturday.
He added that the enemies, which have failed in their campaign against Iran over the past three years, are now forced to return to the path of constructive interaction with the Iranian nation.
He emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year doubled the difficulty of sanctions and economic war for Iranians who were not only deprived of the usual global aid to combat the disease but also the access to their wealth in foreign banks.
However, Rouhani stated, the Iranian nation has proved that it is able to achieve economic stability and sustainable economic growth even in the face of sanctions.
Stressing the importance of maintaining constructive interaction with the world, he said, “Iran can enter into regional and global trade agreements. Iran can be a center of attraction for international investors.”
The Iranian president added that the Islamic Republic can enjoy extensive, deep and stable trade with the world.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani highlighted the significance of participation of all Iranians in elections, saying "the way to progress and reforming things in this country passes only through the path of participation and elections."
“Democracy is a national asset and we must safeguard it away from despair and fear, and put aside our frustrations and disagreements, with a strategic view of the future.
Passionate elections with maximum participation will be a definite precondition for the realisation of the aspirations of the Iranian people in the first decade of the fifteenth century," he added.
The following is the full text of the message:
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
I would like to sincerely congratulate the beginning of the year 1400 to all the great people of Iran, old and young; men and women, especially nurses and doctors, and all medical staff; farmers and workers, warriors and border guards and all the friends of Iran around the world.
This year's Nowruz is in the middle of two great days, the birthdays of Imam Hussein (AS) and Imam Mahdi (AS), and wished a happy new year to all the people of Iran.
The end of the winter of nature, and the beginning of the time of light and warmth and the blossoming and greenness of nature has coincided with the end of a hard period and difficult times of the history of the Iranian nation.
In the year 1399, coronavirus doubled the difficulty of sanctions and economic war for Iranians. Iranian nation entered the battle against coronavirus, not only deprived of the usual global aid to combat this pandemic, but also not even having access to its wealth in foreign banks.
But on the other hand, this difficult and cold season, and this great plague, and the simultaneous struggle on several different fronts became a brilliant and proud chapter in the history of Iran due to the epic of patience and perseverance of the Iranian nation.
The people of Iran witnessed the inaugurations every Thursday. These inaugurations were all the result of openings that were achieved through constructive engagement with the world, and using the oil revenues in the National Development Fund, which made it possible for these infrastructural and employment-generating investments to happen.
In the dilemma of living these days, the manifestations of empathy and the faithful help of the Iranians, once again portrayed the depth of solidarity and unity of this nation.
In the field of health, the great family of healthcare workers created points in history and sacrifices. In the production of medical equipment, medicine and vaccines, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and knowledge-based companies flourished and became the pride of the Iranian nation.
We thank God that this year's Nowruz breeze promises the beginning of a season of prosperity, victory and progress for the Iranian nation.
Today, the ill-wishers of this nation, on the other side of the world, have fallen from the seat of power with disgrace and notoriety, while the Iranian nation, is tall, proud and lively, and has welcomed the spring of nature and the spring of life.
Today, the enemies of the nation have admitted that the language of force, threats and sanctions cannot be spoken to the great nation of Iran. Therefore, after three years of defeat, they are forced to return to the path of constructive interaction with the Iranian nation.
Today, the Iranian nation has welcomed the spring of nature and the spring of life, and has accumulated the valuable investments in these eight years.
During these eight years, we have accumulated valuable political capital in the field of international politics, which has resulted in successive victories at the United Nations, the Security Council, and the Hague. Today, we have a broad, deep, strategic relationship with the world, and our enemies are isolated and powerless in their positions against us.
In these eight years, despite the fact that we have always been short of financial resources, we have taken great and historic steps in developing the infrastructure needed for the development of the country. In gas and gas supply, in oil and petrochemical refining, in electricity and water industry, communications and internet and health.
In these eight years, agriculture and industry, and our service sector have evolved and matured and are ready to compete in global markets with greater strength and power in the new era.
In these eight years, Iran has shifted from the need to import petrol and diesel to the position of exporter.
This experience has shown us that the Iranian nation is able to achieve economic stability, sustainable single-digit inflation and sustainable economic growth during the period of openness and prosperity.
But achieving this goal requires a precise, realistic and hopeful outline of the country's future horizon. We rely on what we have been able to do, and say: we can.
Achieving this goal requires the participation of all Iranians in the development process. Attracting capital, knowledge-based economics and strengthening knowledge-based companies should be the focus of our development.
Achieving this goal requires constructive interaction with the world. Iran can enter into regional and global trade agreements. Iran can be a center of attraction for international investors. Iran can be the most attractive space to benefit from the knowledge and capital of Iranians around the world, and Iran can have extensive, deep and stable trade with the world.
As the son of this great nation, who has been serving this great nation in various political fields and various responsibilities since I was a teenager and since the beginning of the Islamic movement, I believe that the way to progress and reforming things in this country passes only through the path of participation and elections.
Democracy is a national asset and we must safeguard it away from despair and fear, and put aside our frustrations and disagreements, with a strategic view of the future.
Passionate elections with maximum participation will be a definite precondition for the realisation of the aspirations of the Iranian people in the first decade of the fifteenth century.
Next year will be the year of widespread access to vaccines and control of COVID, and the year of taking advantage of 3 years of resistance and the end of sanctions. We defeated the sanctions once and we will surely defeat the sanctions together again.
At the beginning of 1400, I am more hopeful than eight years ago. Because eight years ago, we did not have this glorious experience of 4 years of economic prosperity and global interaction, nor of 3 years of resistance to economic warfare. I very much hope that with the conscious and free presence of the people, in determining their destiny, the year 1400, which is the end of the fourteenth century, will be the end of hardships and the beginning of prosperity, and will open the way for the new century, which is the century of renewing the Iranian nation's dignity.