Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei addresses chancellors of universities and heads of scientific and research centers in Tehran on Thursday. (IRNA Photo)

TEHRAN, Jan. 7--Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei here on Thursday called for revival of science in the country.
Addressing chancellors of universities and heads of scientific and research centers, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that lack of knowledge and disappointment regarding scientific progress have been major factors behind western influence in Iran's contemporary history, IRNA reported.
The leader referred to universities as bases for creating self-confidence, developing knowledge and achieving scientific victories.
Praising the achievements and developments in the field of science in the country over the past two decades, the leader called for serious continuation of the move.
He lauded the scientific abilities of Iranian professors and academics, underlining the need to respect and pay due attention to universities and professors.
ÒCertain groups and individuals are attempting to question the scientific ability of the Iranian people,Ó he said, adding that the Iranian history and civilization as well as the progress of the Iranian nation in the past 25 years prove that Iranians enjoys the ability to take valuable initiatives even in different scientific fields.
As to the cultural dimension of universities, Ayatollah Khamenei said chancellors of universities and officials of the Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology shoulder heavy responsibility for promoting culture in universities.
Meanwhile, Minister of Sciences, Research and Technology, Jafar Tofiqi, briefed the gathering on the performance and future programs of his ministry.
Stressing the importance of scientific developments in universities, the minister said over 4,000 political, scientific and cultural groups are currently active in Iranian universities.

TEHRAN, Jan. 7--Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart President Mohammad Khatami on Thursday called for expansion of bilateral ties between the two countries.
Chavez expressed satisfaction with enhancement of mutual ties in the last few years and called for further consolidation of Tehran-Caracas relations, IRNA reported.
President Khatami underlined development of ties, especially in scientific, economic and industrial sectors, and said the Iranian government and nation are ready to transfer technology and cooperate with the brotherly nation of Venezuela.
The two presidents expressed regret over the killer tsunami in southeast Asia and voiced readiness to send aid to tsunami victims.
Meanwhile, Khatami here on Thursday underlined the need to meet the needs and demands of the Iranian youth.
In a meeting with the head and senior officials of National Youth Organization, the president said the Islamic system is duty-bound to pave the way for progress of the youth by mobilizing their potentials.
Prior to President Khatami's speech, Presidential Advisor and Head of National Youth Organization Rahim Ebadi praised the efforts made to promote the status of youth in the society in the past few years.
Ebadi further briefed the president on the performance and future plans of his organization.

Hani Mulki

AMMAN, Jordan,
Jan. 7--Jordan Foreign Minister Hani Mulki here Thursday assessed bilateral relations with Iran as good, expressing hope Iran's
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi would pay an official visit to Amman in the near future.
Talking to reporters at the end of a foreign ministerial meeting of Iraqi neighboring states, Mulki said Iran and Jordan enjoy good relations and added that differences of opinion should be patched up through dialogue, IRNA reported.
He stressed that Iran and its neighboring states enjoy close stances on the country's upcoming elections, saying all neighboring states stressed that the election should be held on time.
The minister said different Iraqi groups, including Shiites and Sunnis, should participate in the election and determine the future of their country.
Meanwhile, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Gholamali Khoshrou late on Thursday stressed the importance of holding timely elections in Iraq as a step toward establishment of peace and stability in that country.
Addressing the meeting of Iraqi neighboring states in the Jordanian capital city of Amman, Khoshrou said stability and peace in Iraq would play an important role in promoting regional security.
He said foreign ministers of Iraq's neighbors voiced their readiness to equip and train the Iraqi police force, if demanded by the country.
He termed the current situation in Iraq as sensitive and added that establishment of security, national solidarity and preventive actions which lead to clashes and domestic differences would be decisive factors in helping the Iraqi nation.
"The Iraqi nation, like other nations, has the right to determine their destiny free from any foreign interference," Khoshrou said.
The conference of IraqÕs neighboring states wrapped up its work in Amman late on Thursday. Egypt, Bahrain and UN representative to Iraq were among other participants of the conference.

TEHRAN, Jan. 7--Reformers have many potentials for winning the upcoming presidential election slated for June 17, 2005, a pro-reform candidate said.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran on Friday, Mostafa Moin asserted that a genuine interaction between presidential candidates on one side and the people and the elite on the other will help organize the upcoming presidential election in a better way, IRNA reported.
"Some of my election priorities are to support social and personal freedoms, press freedom, reinforcement of civil institutions and improvement of people's living conditions," he said.
Moin added that he prioritizes an efficient team of ministers and active interaction with the elite in case he wins the race.
He noted that a change in the present political atmosphere is a prerequisite to a high voter turnout and will help the future president form his cabinet.
"Despite certain weaknesses of the reformist camp in the media and economic fields, reformers have considerable capabilities in administering the country in the new reform phase and application of scientific methods to politics," he said.
Moin enumerated his other priorities as promotion of dŽtente with other countries while taking Iran's national interests into account.
Moin is the presidential candidate supported both by two prominent reformist parties Islamic Iran Participation Front and Islamic Revolution's Mujahideen Organization.

KHORRAMABAD, Lorestan, Jan. 7--Leader's advisor for international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, called on fundamentalists to remain close to influential politician, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, whose likely candidacy in the next presidential elections is a hot topic of debate.
"Fundamentalists should not disengage their policies and stances from those of Rafsanjani and never remain detached from him," IRNA quoted Velayati as saying during a gathering of clerics and provincial officials on Friday.
He added that Rafsanjani commands respect for his services to the revolution and the Islamic Republic system, adding that members of the fundamentalist faction are critical of recent disrespectful remarks about him.
As to his own candidacy, the well-known rightist said he has "entered the (presidential) race as an obligation".
"Truly, I am not eager to take on the responsibility," he said, adding that if that were to happen, it would be only to Òplease GodÓ.
Insisting that his words and deeds have always been in conformity, Velayati said the people will certainly choose the person they deem fit to guide the country.
"Whatever the outcome, I would not evade my main duty which is to serve the people," he said.

Fereydoun Amouzadeh-Khalili

GORGAN, Golestan, Jan. 7--An official with the provincial department of National Youth Organization (NYO) in Gorgan said on Thursday the next government is unlikely to adopt a different approach toward institutions which receive funds based on a set of standard civil, social and cultural objectives.
Speaking to members of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) combating narcotics and working for creating AIDS awareness, NYOÕs deputy for development affairs, Fereydoun Amouzadeh-Khalili, said although most NGOs flourished during President Mohammad Khatami's tenure, their survival will outlive his administration.
"Their operations cannot come to an end upon an executive circular," he said.
Referring to pressures on some NGOs, Amouzadeh-Khalili said it was possible to avert pressures by respecting social and cultural sentiments.
Some NGOs have been recently criticized and the parliament formed a team to probe their activities, including the National Youth Organization.