State Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (r) talks with former prime minister of Spain, Felipe Gonzalez, in Tehran on Saturday. (IRNA Photo)

TEHRAN, Dec. 19--State Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said in a meeting with the visiting former prime minister of Spain, Felipe Gonzalez, here late on Saturday that globalization is an offshoot of the natural evolution of human societies.
Rafsanjani is of the view that globalization, which does not result in justice, will usher great problems for the world. He said Iran will welcome the process if it results in a just and humane world order.
Contending that the basic principle that should be observed in the process of globalization is respect for the rights of all countries in the international arena, the SEC chief referred to the right of veto of powerful countries in the United Nations Security Council. He expressed regret that these countries are plotting to increase their power to control weaker states by proposing changes to the UN structure.
On the deplorable situation in Palestine, he noted that the Zionist Israeli regime has increased insecurity in the world with its defiance of international laws and continued crimes against the oppressed Palestinian nation.
He believes the continued neglect of the inalienable rights of five million helpless Palestinians is part of a plot to impose hegemony and create a unilateral world.
Rafsanjani also touched on the Iraqi issue and hailed the recent decision of the Spanish government to recall troops from Iraq as a "very positive move".
Gonzalez expressed his views on diverse issues, saying the US was imposing its will on international affairs while countries shunned it in favor of a multipolar world order.
On the Palestinian issue, the former Spanish prime minister said Europe's support was only a temporary solution and stressed the need for a lasting solution if there was to be peace and stability in the region.
Gonzalez hailed Iran's role in regional and international affairs and said greater exchanges between Tehran and Madrid can help raise the two countries' trade and other economic transactions.

Mostafa Moin

TEHRAN, Dec. 19--Scientific freedom of academicians is derived from civil freedoms and citizenship rights, former science, research and technology minister said on Sunday.
Mostafa Moin also noted that humans are inherently free and entitled to select and react, IRNA reported.
Moin enumerated the obstacles impeding scientific freedom in universities as lack of access to financial and administrative facilities, shortage of scientific and human resources, influence of political institutions and parties on universities and lack of tolerance within the universities.
"An important characteristic of universities is their independence. If universities become independent, many objectives will be achieved, including research and creativity in resolving social, economic and cultural problems, active participation of academicians at different levels of decision-making, and realization of all-out and sustainable development," he said.

KASHAN, Isfahan, Dec. 19--A leading member of Iran's main pro-reform party, Islamic Iran Participation Front, said rightists would take no risks in adopting a strategy for the ninth presidential elections, IRNA reported on Sunday.
Ahmad Shirzad also told the gathering in Khashan University that the conservative camp would most likely field a single candidate for the elections, otherwise "their defeat is almost certain".
"A possible scenario could be that the rightists will introduce one nominee and, if he wins, form the next cabinet out of the campÕs leading members," he said.
Shirzad declared that their chances of success are slim. "I don't believe they will secure more than 50 percent of votes."
The important point, he said, is that the reformist camp will have more than one candidate and win the elections.
Shirzad said Mostafa Moin, a former science, research and technology minister and the reformists' choice, would not be disqualified if reformists were to insist on him, because there are no reasons for the Guardians Council to disqualify him.

TEHRAN, Dec. 19--Islamic Coalition Party in a statement on Sunday called on all conservative candidates to voluntarily step aside for the presidential candidate whom they consider to be better than themselves, Fars News Agency reported.
The statement also said ICP is aware of the importance of high voter turnout in all elections so that the next president is elected with people's greater awareness.
ICP added that despite attempts by US plots and enemies of Islam and Iran to prevent people's participation in the election, people should elect the most qualified candidate in the presidential election slated for May 2005.
ÒThe new chief executive should be able to coordinate different branches of the government instead of taking factional interests into account,Ó it said.

TEHRAN, Dec. 19--Families of Iranian pilgrims detained in Iraq gathered outside the parliament on Sunday, demanding that lawmakers take action to seek their release, IRNA reported.
The demonstrators called for a meeting with the Parliament Speaker Gholamali Hadda-Adel and criticized the officials for failing to given them information about the conditions of their detained relatives.
On Saturday, they had gathered in front of the Foreign Ministry and said they will approach IranÕs Red Crescent Society today.
A top Foreign Ministry official said that the government is engaged in talks with Iraqi officials to get these detainees freed.
Some 1,500 Iranian citizens, who had traveled to Iraq on pilgrimage to Iraq, are presently in Iraqi prisons.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 19--A leading Pakistani archeologist said on Sunday the Persian Gulf region in ancient times was known by the same name and even included the eastern part of the Hormuz Strait extending to the western and northeastern parts of the Indian subcontinent.
"While the eastern borders of the Achaemenid Empire reached the Sindh Valley, where it met the western borders of the Chinese Empire, the greater Persian Gulf region, which was ruled by the Achaemenid kings, covered the present Persian Gulf region as well as the northwest and parts of the subcontinent down to Bombay," Professor Ahmed Hasan Dani told IRNA.
The retired professor of international repute said that in addition to the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf, the western and southern coasts were also conquered by the Achaemenid kings and their local rulers were subjected to taxation to King Darius and King Cyrus.
Professor Dani expressed surprise over the publication of an atlas by the National Geographic which referred to the sea as "Arabian Gulf" instead of Persian Gulf, adding that geographical or scientific publications should not be influenced by political or racial motivations.
Historical facts, he said, cannot be ignored and any attempt to manipulate facts will negatively affect the institution's reputation.

TEHRAN, Dec. 19--UkraineÕs Ambassador to Tehran Vladimir Ivanovich Butyaga and Chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi in a meeting here on Sunday discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments.
A report released by Majlis Public Relations Department said Boroujerdi appreciated UkraineÕs political support for Iran, particularly on the international scene, and hoped collaboration between the two states in various fields will further grow through the parliamentary backing of both sides.
He expressed satisfaction with the growing trend of mutual ties and underlined Iran's determination for further cooperation with Ukraine. He also said that there is no obstacle to this end.
Referring to 3,000 Iranian students currently studying in Ukraine and celebration of `Ukraine Month' in Iran, he said collaboration in scientific and cultural fields will guarantee closer relations.
He hoped that Iraqis will determine their own destiny through broad-based and free elections without the interference of US troops.
Boroujerdi also hoped that Ukraine's future elections will secure the people's interests, help promote peace and stability in the country and pave the way for national development.
For his part, Butyaga presented a report on the activities of Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran.
Pointing to his experience in other countries, he named Iran as the safest country in the world and called for expansion of bilateral ties in all domains.
The diplomat referred to Iran's role in regional developments and declared his country's readiness to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan in cooperation with Iran.
Butyaga announced Ukraine's interest in cooperating with Iran in aircraft production, oil and gas industry as well as shipbuilding, and called on Majlis to support such collaboration.

TEHRAN, Dec. 19--Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said here Sunday that a European delegation will visit Iran after the New Year holidays to discuss construction of a 'research' nuclear reactor in the Islamic Republic.
"A European delegation will come to Iran after the January holidays to discuss details of this issue," he told reporters during his weekly news briefing.
The visit follows Iran's agreement with the Europeans last month to suspend uranium enrichment activities in return for a package of incentives, including EU's assistance in the construction of a light-water nuclear reactor in Iran.
Iran is already building a nuclear reactor in the southern city of Bushehr with Russian assistance under an 800-million-dollar deal, with the project planned to come on stream in 2006.
ÒIran has also been invited for the first time to a session of the 25-member club of the countries mastering the nuclear fuel cycle,Ó he said.
Tehran insists that its nuclear program is solely aimed at power generation and rejects US claims that the program is a front to build atomic bombs.
Iran agreed last month to suspend uranium enrichment under an agreement reached in Paris with Britain, France and Germany, as representatives of the European Union, in exchange for trade, technology and security incentives.