The president, in his address, referred to the multibillion-dollar oil and gas contracts and said the contracts show that “we will not tie the country’s progress to the negotiation with and permission and smiles of others.

The full text of the president's Nowruz address is as follows:

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Praise be to Allah; and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad and his noble household and companions

I would like to congratulate all my dear fellow Iranians, especially the honorable families of martyrs and veterans, on Nowruz Eid and the New Year.

And also, I sincerely congratulate all nations who celebrate Nowruz on this Eid.

Iranian national rituals are the most moral and pure rituals in history.

Our people have kept Nowruz for centuries. Nowruz in Iran is mixed with human customs such as mercy and kindness.

One of the characteristics of our dear people is that they associate Nowruz with reciting the Qur'an and supplicating. This year's spring has also found symmetry with the spring of the Qur’an and fasting, so the manifestation of the spirituality and kindness of the Iranian nation has a more special form.

In the prayer for the delivery of the year, we ask God to grant us the best transformation. It means that we can turn shortcomings and weaknesses into strengths. Thanks to this concurrence and prayers, the New Year will be a year of success and pride for the Iranian nation in all fields, God willing.

1402, a year full of ups and downs and with important events, had both sweet events and surprises and some bitter events. But the result of the events of the year was more growth and prosperity of dear Iran in all sectors.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution named the year 1402 as the Year of Production Growth and Inflation Control.

The overall economic growth in 1402 will be at least 6%, according to the estimate of the Statistics Center, for three consecutive years now, the country has experienced growth rates above 4%, while the average economic growth in the previous years was less than 1%.

Next to the wing of production growth, the other wing of the slogan of the year was to curb inflation.

You remember that from the beginning of this government and at different times, some people claimed that inflation will reach three digits! But today, not only those pessimistic predictions did not come true, on the contrary, inflation was on a downward path, point-to-point inflation decreased from around 55% at the beginning of this year to 35% in the last month, and total inflation will be something about 40 percent. That is, in one year, point-to-point inflation has decreased by 20 percentage points.

These show that we, together with people and experts of various economic sectors, have chosen the principled and correct path for sustainable reduction of inflation and sustainable economic growth.

Of course, our intelligent people are aware that this did not mean that the price of goods did not increase. Inflation is still high and people, especially the poor, are under pressure to live.

But next to the issue of production growth and inflation control, the employment situation improved last year as well.

The unemployment rate in the fall of 1402 had a record low decrease and entered the channel of seven percent, and the unemployment rate for the whole year will be lower from 1401. Part of the employment created was in the form of the movement to revive the closed and semi-closed manufacturing enterprises across the country, whose number today has exceeded 7,000 production units.

Not only the investment and completion of projects did not stop in these 30 months, but Iran became a workshop of construction, progress and hope.

Naturally, instead of investments that will be put into operation in a few years, the government could spend the capital on its daily activities. As in the past, we had no shortage of these bitter and developmental experiences for the country.

But according to the wise interpretation of the wise Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the government did not let the future of the country become a victim of everyday life and did not sacrifice tomorrow for today.

Let me remind and review some examples of basic work:

I went to Khuzestan in 1400, two days after the endorsement ceremony. The most important issue and concern of the people in Ahvaz and some cities of Khuzestan was the water problem. And this was not just in Khuzestan. In Sistan and Baluchestan, in Kerman, Bushehr, even in Kurdestan, Hamedan, the problem was water.

The ill-wishers of Iran were advertising that in the future, important and sensitive parts of the country will not be habitable due to lack of water.

Today, you can see how many important water projects have been completed in the country in these 30 months. Almost in every provincial trip, several important water supply projects are put into operation. Among these measures, there are three water transfer projects from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the eastern provinces and the central plateau of the country.

The plan of supplying water to villages has been implemented in 5,000 villages and it will be done in another 5,000 villages by the end of the government.

The next issue is housing. The housing issue had become a knot at the beginning of this government. There was both "construction delay" and "uncertainty". After several governments, 240,000 Mehr housing units had not yet been delivered and it was a commitment for the government.

Today, more than2.4  million houses are being built in the country. Half of the Mehr housings have been handed over to the people, and the other half, God willing, is in the process of being handed over to our dear people soon.

Significant measures have been taken in electricity production, gas production, as well as in the housing sector.

Our administration is proud to be known as the Popular Administration. It is among the people and with the people. In the 30 months of the government's life, 45 provincial trips were made, the priority of these trips was to pay attention to people's demands and finish important and half-finished projects.

The year 1402 was a special year, along with progress and prosperity, in terms of the implementation of justice-oriented programs and projects.

Plans and measures such as electronic coupon, free health insurance for 12 million people from low-income brackets, completing and developing rural roads, supplying water, electricity and gas to villages.

Here, I urge all managers and servants of the people in the government that this year too, all decisions must be accompanied by the approach and attachment of justice.

But in the New Year, accelerating the completion of half-finished projects is one of the main approaches of the government. We have to direct the funds towards production and infrastructure works and at the same time, make up for the backwardness of the previous decade.

I assure you that with trust in Almighty God and with you dear and noble people, the year 1403 will be the year of greater prosperity of production and economy, further reduction of the inflation rate and extensive service to the dear people.

In these two and a half years, trying to complete the half-finished plans and achieve the results of large projects in various sectors such as health, communication, culture, education, water, electricity, gas, road, science and technology, environment and supporting the deprived, this year, these services will increase, God willing.

- Over the past two years, you saw that many half-completed hospitals were put into operation in the country and people's access to health services became fair. This year, God willing, the addition of 9,000 new beds to medical centers is one of the government's plans.

- This year, God willing, we will witness a change in the field of electrification of the urban transport fleet.

- In the field of internet, the plan is to continue equipping the country with optical fiber, and high-speed internet will reach cities and villages, especially villages with more than 20 households.

- In the field of space, since the beginning of this government, there have been as many successful space launches as in the previous 13 years. This year too, this accelerated process will continue, God willing.

Dear noble people of Iran,

All that we have done in these two and a half years, together, for the development of the country, and everything that will be done in the future, is with your support. All the successes are due to the help of God and the strength and help of our beloved people.

You people are the main heroes of this field.

If today, our words are heard in the region and the world, it is because of your power. It is your hope and strength that gives hope and strength to the government.

Three years ago, during the elections, I promised that we will not leave the negotiating table, but we will not make the progress of the country dependent on negotiation and the permission and smiles of others. You noticed that several multibillion-dollar contracts were signed in the oil and gas sector in recent days. At the same time, the volume of foreign investment, apart from domestic investment, in this government was about 11 billion dollars. Definitive investment, not just signing, understanding or on paper, means definite and valid investment.

Last year was the flourishing year of Iran's presence in important international organizations and groups. Membership in BRICS after Iran's membership in Shanghai was another important achievement in the field of foreign policy. The country's trade with its neighbors increased. Cooperation with the very important region of Latin America and Africa, which unfortunately had been neglected for nearly a decade, was seriously activated.

Of course, last year, we had bitter events that made us all sad. One of them was the terrorist incident in Kerman. Dozens of our faithful fellow Iranians were martyred in this terrorist incident. The enemy wanted to take revenge from the people of Iran for their regional failure and the failure of their plans. Iran's heart was wounded, but Iran remained strong.

In the case of Gaza, we saw another manifestation of standing up to the enemy. The oppressors of the world gathered all their forces to destroy the two million free people of Gaza. From the newest and most up-to-date anti-rocket bombs to billions of dollars, they provided the Zionists with money, but they could not.

The year 1402 was also a year of transition from differences and social tensions. The enemies of this nation had troubled dreams for our national unity and cohesion. They thought that because of the sedition imposed in 1401, they were able to harm our national unity and integrity, but the people of Iran showed that they are men of the days of trouble. The meaningful presence of people in different fields disappointed them.

One of the arenas of people's attendance was the elections of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts. The enemy's plan to boycott the elections failed with the presence of the people in the scene. Now it is the turn of the people's elected representatives to fulfill their commitments by maintaining unity and cohesion, and we also hope that with the new Parliament's unity, cooperation, and companionship, we will see more success in creating changes in the country's administrative system and untie the knots in people's lives.

The old prescription of the ill-wishers is to create division: Creating division among people and officials. We should all fight back the conspiracies together with each other.

I would like to say a word to the young people of Iran. My dear children: Know that by relying on your strength, motivation and thought and the grace of God, "Iran of tomorrow" will be far more prosperous, progressive, and advanced than "Iran of today". We appreciate you and will do our best to pave the way for your progress.

At the end, I would like to humbly thank the honorable people for their support and sacrifices for the pride of dear Iran.

I sincerely appreciate the wise Leader of the Islamic Revolution who has always provided guidance and direction for this government and for the dear nation and has been a beacon for the servants of the nation.

I sincerely thank the Parliament and the Judiciary, the Armed Forces, the revolutionary institutions, and other institutions that pave the way to serve the nation along with the government.

I honor the memory of the dear Imam Khomeini and the high-ranking martyrs, and I wish happy, pleasant and memorable Nowruz and Ramadan to the people and all Iranian families, and I humbly ask the Almighty God for victory and prosperity of the Palestinian people and the Muslims of the world.

Peace be upon you and may God have mercy on you

president.ir