Iran is Marking and Celebrating a Historical Milestone

By Roy Lie Atjam.

Wassenaar, 11 February 2019, this year, the event recognized the 40th anniversary of the 11 February 1979, Iranian Revolution.

For this reason, H.E. Mr. Ambassador Alireza Jahangiri,  hosted a reception. Guests turnout in their numbers to congratulate Ambassador Alireza Jahangiri on this momentous day.

The Iranian Revolution was a  nationalistic and Islamic revolution that replaced a secular monarchy. The last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by the Islamic Republic. The Shah was perceived by the man in the street as a puppet of the west. Under the Shah’s rule, western powers exploited Iran’s natural resources. Furthermore, the Shah’s regime was oppressive, corrupt and brutal.

In his Revolution Day address on Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square, President Hassan Rohani lash out at the U.S. for conspiring against his country. In his revolution day message, Ambassador Alireza Jahangiri,  stated the following:.

This year’s National Day has a special significance for us since it is the Fortieth Anniversary of the glorious Islamic Revolution of Iran.

From the outset, the Islamic Revolution of Iran has followed the principles of respect for the rights of other nations, standing against oppression, aggression, corruption, tyranny, arrogance, and external interference in the fate of nations along with constructive dialogue and multilateral engagement with other countries based on the principles of equality and respect.

In these forty years, the people of Iran have proudly passed all types of hardships: coup, attempts to overthrow, assassinations, war, sanctions and pressures. The establishment that emerged from the Revolution, the Islamic Republic, in pursuit of its transcendental goals, managed to achieve tremendous success in scientific fields such as aerospace, nano and biotechnology, genetics, academic researches and also public health and welfare, at a level which is not comparable with before the victory of the Revolution. 

While the Iranian people have been the victims of all kinds of conspiracy of the enemies, terrorism and chemical weapons in the past forty years, they have been able to overcome these difficulties, rebuild the destruction of the war, eliminate the effects of sanctions and gain great successes in all indicators by relying on its own capabilities.

Iran has always had cultural relations with the regional countries based on a common historical background and has always been and still is the strategic depth of the culture of the region. Neither in the past 40 years nor before, Iran has never initiated an attack or invasion of its neighbors or other countries and whenever asked for help, it has rushed to aid every country including Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan and Qatar.

If Iran did not support Iraqi and Syrian people, today we might have seen a different outcome for Baghdad and Damascus and without Iran’s support for Afghanistan, during its struggle for independence, we might have witnessed different conditions in the region.

The intensive and long-term negotiations between the European and American sides with the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to end an unnecessary crisis in the issue of peaceful nuclear activity which led to the JCPOA is a good example of the triumph of diplomacy, multilateralism and Iran’s dedication to its commitments. The 13 reports issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) clearly testifies to Iran’s commitment to its obligations whilst in the contrary the United States, failed in this historic test by violating its obligations.

Unfortunately, other parties, including Europe, have not yet been able to fulfill their obligations as a result of which the balance in the agreement is disappeared. We hope that what the European Union recently unveiled as INSTEX could help both sides to enjoy economic benefits of the JCPOA.

On bilateral relations between Iran and the Netherlands, we have witnessed the expansion of relations in all aspects over the past five years as the officials of both countries were determined to develop the bilateral relations.

Considering the mutual visits by several high-ranking Dutch and Iranian officials in recent years, we do hope that in 2019 this trend will be strengthened and given the capacities and the great incentives to promote economic cooperation between the two countries, the growing volume of economic interactions between the two countries will continue and we also can see an increase in the mutual visits to the capitals of both countries.

At the OPCW which is rightfully based in The Hague, the beautiful city of peace and Justice, the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the victims of chemical weapons, has always tried to prevent proliferation and use of these weapons through effective interaction with other Member States of this Organization and also to preserve the function of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the way its founders intended.

I would like to inform you that this is the fifth and last National Day ceremony for me as the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Netherlands as I will be leaving the country next month. I hereby thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, especially, the MENA and protocol departments that without their cooperation, the progress made throughout these years would not have been possible.

If I may be permitted on a personal note, on behalf of my wife Maryam and myself, would like to convey our profound gratitude and deep appreciation for the wholehearted cooperation and friendship that we have received from one and all during our stay in The Hague. Our thoughts will be with our friends here. The Netherlands will always have a special place wherever we are. We look forward to seeing you all in Iran.

An authentic Iranian musical intermezzo and excelent Persian dinner buffet was also an integral part of the festive evening.