Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reported on his country's development before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in a speech to mark the 34th anniversary of the historic event, Azerbaijan's Trend news agency reported.

He cited some statistics reflecting the progress achieved in various fields of the Iranian economy.

Ahmadinejad said that before the Revolution, cement output was less than 7 million tons, but currently the figure is over 80 million tons. Moreover, 12 million tons of cement was exported within the current year, he added.

According to the Mehr news agency, Ahmadinejad said that before the Revolution, steel output was less than 1 million tons, but currently the figure is over 20 million tons; the country will reach self-sufficiency by the end of the Ahmadinejad administration's term.

In the early days of the Islamic Revolution, the annual car production was 0.3 million units. Today, the car output is over 2 million units and different cars are exported.

Petrochemical and electricity output, which was insignifcant, currently stands at 56 million tons and 70 gigawatts respectively.

Before the Revolution, water storage capacity using dams was 12 billion cubic meters, while today the capacity is around 50 billion cubic meters. Road construction tripled to 11,723 kilometers, Ahmadinejad noted.

Eight years before the 9th administration in Iran, 3.209 million houses had been built. During the current, 10th administration, 6.783 million houses have been built so far.

Before the Revolution, agricultural output was 25 million tons a year. Currently, the figure is over 110 million tons. The number of schools which have been built in the past 7-8 years is equal to that for the past 80 years, he said.

Ahmadinejad also said that Iran will soon send a satellite into geostationary orbit, The Guardian reported.

"God willing, soon Iran's satellite will be located at the orbit at [an altitude of] 36,000 kilometers [22,000 miles] next to others from four or five advanced powers and it will relay a message of peace and fidelity to the whole world," he said.

In January, Iran said it sent a monkey into suborbital space and recovered the animal safely. It says it hopes to send astronauts to the orbit by 2018. Iran displayed a model of the Pishgam rocket, which the country says it used to send the monkey into space, in a corner of the capital Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square where demonstrators gathered to listen to the president.

However, the West suspects Iran's space program can be used to develop long-range missiles.

Nuclear talks with U.S.

Also, in his speech Ahmadinejad said that Tehran was ready negotiate with the U.S. over its nuclear program, if the latter stops pressuring the country, Reuters reported.

"You cannot point a gun at the Iranian nation and then expect them to have negotiations with you," Ahmadinejad told a crowd gathered in the Azadi Square.

"Talks should not be used as a lever to impose one's opinions ... If you stop pointing the gun at the Iranian nation, I will negotiate (with you) myself," he added.

However, the final say on key state decisions belongs to the Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said his country won't negotiate with the U.S. under threat.

Replying to the remarks by Vice President Joe Biden, who said on February 2 the United States was ready for direct talks if Iran was serious about negotiations, Khamenei last week rejected the offer of direct talks, saying talks and pressure were incompatible.

The United States and some of its allies suspect Iran may be trying to develop atomic weapons capability under the cover of a civilian nuclear energy program. But Iran denies the allegations, saying its nuclear fuel is only for energy-producing reactors and medical applications, and insists that its operations will continue.