Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s inaugural address widely covered by Indian media

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The two-day summit of the 120-nation grouping was inaugurated by the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

He said that Tehran would not seek nuclear weapons, but would not give up its quest for nuclear energy.

He said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons a great and unforgivable sin. We proposed the idea of ‘Middle East free of nuclear weapons’ and we are committed to it. This does not mean forgoing our right to peaceful use of nuclear power and production of nuclear fuel. On the basis of international laws, peaceful use of nuclear energy is a right of every country,” India’s leading English daily “The Times of India” wrote.

Another leading daily Asian Age quoting Ayatollah Khamenei wrote: “Iran’s supreme leader says his country has never pursued nuclear weapons but it will not abandon its controversial nuclear program”.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that Tehran’s motto was “nuclear energy for all, nuclear weapons for none”, wrote Indian Express quoting the Supreme Leader.

The Hindu, another English daily, under the title “Khamenei slams U.N., West over nuclear ‘hypocrisy’” wrote that Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Thursday said his country considered the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons as a “great and unforgivable sin” but that did not mean Tehran would forego its right to peaceful use of nuclear power and production of nuclear fuel.

Meanwhile, another English daily The Statesman, covering Ayatollah Khamenei’s inaugural address, under the title “Nukes for energy, not bombs: Khamenei” , wrote Supreme Leader told heads of state from developing countries in Iran that Iran has no interest in nuclear weapons but will keep pursuing peaceful nuclear energy,

“Our motto is nuclear energy for all and nuclear weapons for none,” daily wrote quoting Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Supreme Leader of Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in his inaugural address at the 16th NAM Summit, kicked off Thursday in Tehran, capital city of Iran, emphasized the issues like NAM’s role in global governance for world peace, UN reform, nuclear issue. He has also drawn the member states attention towards the problem faced by the Palestinians.

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an international organization with 120 member states that is not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.

Nearly two-thirds of the countries of the United Nations are also NAM members.

NAM is the biggest international organization after the United Nations General Assembly.

The organization was founded in Belgrade in 1961 by Yugoslavia’s president, Josip Broz Tito, India's first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Egypt's second president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ghana's first president Kwame Nkrumah and Indonesia's first president, Sukarno.

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