Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated that Iran has never sought to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Khatami made this remark during an interview with reporters following his opening speech at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. He denied claims that Iran attempted to purchase nuclear materials from North Korea or any other country, while asserting that Iran has the right to access nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He predicted that the upcoming elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Iran, despite the Guardian Council disqualifying thousands of reformist candidates, would be held in a free and fair manner. Khatami, who opened the Davos meeting with his speech, called for genuine dialogue between developing countries and the major powers of the world. He emphasized that these negotiations should be based on real understanding rather than propaganda and intimidation. Khatami also expressed to reporters gathered in Davos that he was not interested in meeting with Dick Cheney, the Vice President of the United States, who would soon arrive in Davos, stating that he believes the U.S. does not respect Iran. Over the next five days, more than two thousand participants, including over 30 heads of state and government, will attend the 2004 World Economic Forum in Davos.
Khatami: Iran Has Never Sought to Acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction - 2004-01-22
Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the Iranian President, asserted that Iran has never sought weapons of mass destruction during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He denied allegations of seeking nuclear materials from North Korea and emphasized Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy. Khatami also called for genuine dialogue between developing nations and major powers.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
During an interview at the World Economic Forum, Iranian President Khatami asserted that Iran has never sought weapons of mass destruction and denied allegations of pursuing nuclear materials. He emphasized Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy and called for genuine dialogue with major powers.
- Khatami denied claims of Iran attempting to purchase nuclear materials from North Korea.
- He emphasized the importance of dialogue between developing countries and major powers.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's nuclear program has been a contentious issue since the early 2000s, with fears of weapons development leading to international sanctions and negotiations. Khatami's presidency (1997-2005) was marked by attempts at reform and engagement with the West.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%