By NNN-Bernama,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has pointed his fingers at “the flawed financial system of domineering countries” for the current world financial turmoil.
The outspoken leader of Iran said the international community must strive to rectify the system so as not to prolong the problem.
“We should try to expand as much as possible, relations among various friendly countries and Islamic nations, to overcome the situation,” he said at a joint press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is on a four-day official visit to Iran.
According to Ahmadinejad, through the collective strength of such countries, efforts to improve the financial system would be successful.
Speaking through a translator, the president said Abdullah had expressed clear viewpoints on this matter during their talks in Tehran yesterday.
On sanctions imposed by the United Nations and United States on Iran due to its nuclear ambitions, Ahmadinejad stressed that sanctions by “muscle-flexing countries” were illegal and implemented on the basis of animosity felt towards his country.
“It’s quite natural for our nation to equip and defend itself against those sanctions. In fact, our nation welcomes the sanctions, having converted them into opportunities for progress,” he said.
Describing sanctions as an outdated instrument, the president said those who had imposed sanctions on Iran had, in fact, sanctioned themselves rather than Iran.
Despite the challenges, he said the country was able to stand on its own feet and continue its path towards progress.