President Mohammad Khatami, flanked by Education Minister Morteza Haji (l) and First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, talks to reporters in Tehran on Sunday. (IRNA Photo)

TEHRAN, Jan. 30--President Mohammad Khatami stressed on Sunday that independence, freedom and an Islamic system were pivotal mottoes of the revolution in Iran.
Talking to reporters at the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, Khatami stressed that Iran has achieved a good degree of independence in the post-revolution era, IRNA reported.
He further explained that by freedom he meant the right to express opinions and also the people's right to determine their own destiny which would comply with the notions of the Islamic Revolution.
The president also noted that Iran's Islamic Revolution has been the world's most popular in the past few decades and accomplished many achievements.
He noted that the Islamic Revolution has passed through decisive stages, namely the initial period during which the very existence of the system was threatened, the period of reconstruction and the third stage when the foundations of the Islamic system were consolidated.
Khatami referred to the great talents of Iranian youngsters and stressed the need to attract foreign investments and technologies.
President Khatami and his cabinet members visited the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini on Sunday and laid a wreath of flowers.
The visit took place on the eve of the 26th anniversary of the return home from the exile of the late Imam Khomeini which marked the downfall of the tyrant Pahlavi regime in 1979.

TEHRAN, Jan. 30--United Nations Development Programme's representative in Iran Frederick Lyons described as positive the trend of poverty alleviation in Iran, expressing hope that with the implementation of economic reforms, the process would further gain momentum.
Speaking to reports at the Tehran-based UN headquarters on Sunday, Lyons referred to the Third Millennium Development Plan published by Iran's Management and Planning Organization, which declared nearly 20 percent of the population are living below the poverty line.
The report, however, has an optimistic outlook for the future, relying on the government's joint efforts with international organizations for improving standards of living in Iran.
"There are obstacles such as acute regional inequalities as well as a high unemployment rate, especially among the youth," he said.
Lyons also said the UNDP is assisting the Iranian government to utilize the best methods for devising a national poverty reduction strategy.
It also helps Iran meet its commitments to international environmental conventions on combating desertification, protecting biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gases and eliminating ozone-depleting substances. It is also working closely with the government on reducing the impact of natural disasters on socioeconomic development.
Lyons said the goals of the UN's Third Millennium plan include halving the world's extreme poverty, ending the spread of HIV and malaria, reducing the mortality rate for children under five by two-thirds, and reducing by three-quarters the maternal mortality rate by the year 2015.

TEHRAN, Jan. 30--Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi denied foreign media rumors that Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi entered into negotiations with an American senator on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Talking to IRNA late on Saturday, Asefi said the foreign minister had only expressed his opinion in response to the remarks of one of the speakers of the World Economic Forum which was attended by global political and economic leaders.
He said the American senator likewise expressed his views during their conversation.
Asefi stressed that no such negotiations took place during the forum's meetings.

TEHRAN, Jan. 30--No difference of opinion will arise if the Coordinating Council of Islamic Revolutionary Forces keeps up with its prevailing approach with regard to the June 17 presidential election, a prominent candidate said.
Mohsen Rezai, also the secretary of State Expediency Council, told reporters on Sunday in Bushehr he is serious about participating in the presidential election, IRNA reported.
"What is new about the ninth presidential election is that fundamentalists believe people should have the right to choose between a large number of candidates before the election is held. Hence, the first phase of election is determining among the candidates," he said.
The Coordinating Council of Islamic Revolutionary Forces is presently studying the prospects of deciding from among the five fundamentalist contenders, namely Ali Akbar Velayati, Ali Larijani, Mohsen Rezai, Ahmad Tavakkoli and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.