TEHRAN — During his visit to Moscow, Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday gave a speech at the Russian State Duma, saying the Islamic Republic seeks “maximum interaction” with the world.

Raisi also said NATO is trying to infiltrate various geographical areas culturally by confronting independent democracies. 

The following is the full text of his speech. 

His Excellency Mr. Volodin,

Honorable Chairman of the State Duma of Russia,

Dear representatives,

Ladies and gentlemen,

At the beginning, I would like to express my satisfaction with the friendly government and nation of the Russian Federation for the warm welcome and hospitality of me and my accompanying delegation in the beautiful city of Moscow.

I seize the opportunity to congratulate the Russian nation and government on the birthday of Jesus Christ and the New Year. Worshiping God always takes its meaning from avoiding obedience and worshiping any entity other than God.

I am very glad that on the agenda of this trip, there was an opportunity to attend the State Duma and meet with you, the representatives of the people with the ancient culture and civilization of Russia. In this regard, I would like to thank Mr. Volodin, the honorable Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, the deputy chairman of the Duma, the chairman of the foreign relations committee and other members of the State Duma for organizing this program and giving me the opportunity to speak.

As I mentioned in a cordial meeting and constructive conversation with Mr. Volodin when the Russian political delegation attended my inauguration, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the necessary will and readiness to develop and expand relations with the Russian Federation.

The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to the fatwa of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, is that we are not looking for a nuclear weapon, and such weapons have no place in our defense strategy.

Today, fortunately, there are very clear horizons for cooperation between the two countries at bilateral, regional and international levels. Strengthening Iran-Russia relations in bilateral and multilateral forms will boost the economies of the two nations and strengthen regional and international security. The abundant, yet balancing economic and trade capacities of the two countries, along with the power and influence of each of our two countries in their geographical areas, can strengthen the convergence between the regions.

The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks "maximum interaction" with all countries around the world, especially its neighbors and allies. The purpose and basis of this cooperation and interaction is the mutual interests of nations and the increasing formation of a "civilized global community". This path can be achieved through the cooperation of independent countries with high cultures and attention to the principles of "justice, morality and spirituality". Undoubtedly, the root of what human society suffers from today is the separation of politics from morality and spirituality. Violence, terrorism, the collapse of the family institution, and the spread of drugs do not come from a spiritualist mindset.

Any structure created on the basis of this segregation intensifies the suffering of humanity and, instead of promoting justice, structures oppression and creates the roots causes of domination.

Distinguished representatives,

The experience of an international system based on domination shows that its output was nothing but war, violence, insecurity and division among nations. The failure of the policy of military occupation and forcing the United States to flee Iraq and Afghanistan stems from one concept: resistance of nations. The idea of resistance serves the independence of countries. In modern times, the concept of resistance plays a central role in deterrence equations. The successful model of cooperation between Iran and Russia in Syria has also ensured the independence of the countries and the consolidation of regional security in the continuation of the resistance of the Syrian people and government. In this regard, we have enjoyed the cooperation of the Russian Federation with the intelligent leadership of Mr. Putin, which is commendable and can be considered an effective model for the development of cooperation in various fields.

However, the war against terrorism has been part of the war against hegemony, because terrorism is one of the by-products of hegemony. The strategy of domination has now failed, and the United States is in its weakest position, and the power of independent nations is experiencing its historic growth. The important thing in this age, which requires vigilance, is that the desires for domination have not disappeared and new forms of domination are on the agenda. The most important goal of this agenda is to weaken independent governments from within, which is pursued through economic sanctions, destabilization, the promotion of insecurity, and false narratives of events in such a way that they try to change the place of the oppressor and the oppressed in public opinion.

The "evil alliance" of the United States with terrorists is clear to the world, especially to the nations of West Asia, from Syria to Afghanistan. There are now complex plans to send Takfiri terrorists on new missions from the Caucasus to Central Asia. Experience has shown that it is pure Islamic thought that can prevent the formation of extremism and Takfiri terrorism.

NATO, on the other hand, seeks to infiltrate various geographical areas with new alibis that threaten the common interests of independent states. Promoting pro-Western governments and confronting independent democracies based on national identities and traditions is part of NATO's cultural projects that reflect the hypocrisy of this diminishing pattern of behavior.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Sanctioning nations is a common form of new domination, and countering it requires the cooperation of independent states and a collective response. Otherwise, sanctions will affect all countries, even U.S. allies, under various pretexts. The United States claims that the sanctions are due to the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear activities. Everyone knows that these activities are legal and under the constant supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. But the reality is that in different historical periods of Iran's development, whenever our nation has raised the flag of nationalism, independence, or scientific development, it has faced sanctions and pressures of the Iranian nation's enemies.

Dear representatives,

The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to the fatwa of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, is that we are not looking for a nuclear weapon, and such weapons have no place in our defense strategy. America seeks to oppose the rights of our nation. Our philosophy is also clear. We do not relinquish the rights of our nation. Those chanting, "America is back" have not yet fulfilled their obligations under the nuclear deal. We are not satisfied with anything less than our rights. The Islamic Republic of Iran is serious about reaching an agreement if the other parties are serious about lifting the sanctions effectively and operationally.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The policy of maximum interaction of the Islamic Republic of Iran with independent governments is noble and will continue regardless of the developments in the international environment. The Islamic Republic of Iran is the winner of two battlefields against terrorism and the campaign of maximum economic pressure. At the same time, Iran has extensive economic potential, especially in the fields of energy, trade, agriculture, industry and technology, which pave the way for beneficial cooperation for any bilateral or multilateral interaction with different countries. In this regard, agreements were reached between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, which will cause a significant leap in bilateral economic relations for the benefit of the two nations, and effective regional cooperation for the benefit of peace and stability of nations in different regions. The privileged geographical location of Iran, especially the North-South corridor, can make trade from India to Russia and Europe less expensive and more prosperous.

Stabilizing and benefiting the relations between the two countries requires the expansion of cooperation in the fields of science, society, culture and media, and we are ready for the maximum development of stable and long-term relations. To this end, we believe that the relations between the two countries should be designed in such a way that, while providing mutual benefits, they are also safe from the interference of third parties.

Distinguished representatives

Fortunately, there are good relations between the parliaments of the two countries, and the interactions that exist in the form of the High Parliamentary Commission, between various commissions and committees, as well as parliamentary friendship groups, helps a lot to develop friendly relations between the two countries, especially in the economic field, in addition to promoting parliamentary relations. We consider the role of parliaments to be very important for the development of relations between the two countries, and we welcome it, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

The Islamic Republic of Iran considers and supports Russia's initiative to hold a meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Iran, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan and China in the fight against terrorism.

We hope to see the promotion of relations and the benefit of the people of the two countries from the benefits of these relations and the establishment of peace and stability in the region by making the most from the capacities and continuing cooperation between the two countries in regional and international issues.

I sincerely appreciate your attention.