Rouhani made the remark in a visit to the city of Tabriz, the provincial capital of East Azerbaijan, in north western Iran. Addressing a large gathering of local people in the city of Tabrizi, President Rouhani touched on various issues of concern to the people of the province.
President Rouhani talked of reviving and restoring Lake Urumiah, a subject which is of particular concern to people living in north western Iran. He said the government has launched projects worth $240 million (one trillion toumans) to revive the lake which has suffered from low levels of water in recent years.
The president also called for promotion of the local Azerbaijani language. He talked of the importance of Turkic and Azerbaijani languages, spoken by residents of East Azerbaijan province, as one of the important languages of Iran. Rouhani called on provincial authorities to promote literature and books relating to local Azerbaijani languages.
President Rouhani also assured his audience that their security and freedom is protected.
Elsewhere in his remarks the president referred to the message of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Iranian New Year (Nowruz) -- concerning "National Production and Manufacturing".
President Rouhani said his administration is determined to achieve this goal set by the Leader -- "boosting national production and manufacturing".
