Iranian Foreign Minister hopes Khatami will address US people

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has expressed the hope that President Khatami will be able to fulfill his desire to address the American people and explain the "long and sad" history of the two countries' relations and the "oppressive acts" of the US government.

Speaking in an interview broadcast on Iranian TV on Thursday, Kharrazi said Iran's position, as laid out by Khatami on Sunday, was clear.

"It is a fact that the Americans do not know Iran.

They are behind the times in comparison with others and in view of realities in Iran and Iran's regional importance, as well as the role that Iran could play in the development of the region," he said.

Kharrazi said the US had been "shocked" by the outcome of the recent summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Tehran: "They feel that they have been truly left behind," he said.

"Mr Khatami said that he wanted to speak to the American people.

It is natural for the president of a country to speak through the television and the media, with the people and to explain the problems and issues that exist between the two peoples; relations which have a very long, and unfortunately sad history," he added.

Kharrazi said the American people were "not really political".

"As Mr Khatami said, we have no problems with the American people. We respect them. Most of them are religious. Many of them are not involved in the affairs of the government.

"It is an achievement and to our advantage, to speak to the American people, to reach an understanding with them, to tell them about our problems and to introduce ourselves to them.

"I hope... he will be able to speak, in his television dialogue, about some of the issues faced by the Iranian nation and some of the oppressive acts exercised by the American government against the Iranian people," he said.

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