Reaching out with the message of "friendship and peaceful co-existence", Iranian President Hassan Rouhani today said his country wants to engage with the world and declared it never desired to have nuclear weapons.
Rouhani told the World Economic Forum here that Tehran was ready to open up to Western investments and offered constructive cooperation in promoting global energy security.
Addressing the forum, the first major global platform after initiation of talks between Iran and the US, Rouhani said everybody should stand up against perpetrators of violence. "Iran has never desired a nuclear weapon in the past or one in the future. But we are not willing to give up our peaceful technology," he said.
Iran, part of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has started implementing a nuclear deal with world powers, a step towards a settlement that could lead to the end of crippling sanctions.
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Noting that Iran is ready to engage with neighbours, Rouhani said the "best solution is to organise free and fair elections in Syria".
Expressing sadness over Syria situation, Rouhani said Iran believes everyone should first try to put a full stop to this violence. "We are helping Syrians and everyone should contribute to help them," he added.
"We also have deep ties with Europe. Engagements between Iran and the US has also entered into a new phase last month," Rouhani said.