Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – February 23, 1997

[Mr. Inder Kumar Gujral], Minister of External Affairs of India came. He brought the Prime Minister's letter. The talks were based on the development of cooperation and I pointed out the need for them to be more active in the Afghanistan issue. Then [Mr. Boris Sheikh Muradov], Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, also came to the meeting and discussed trilateral cooperation.

Mr. Mohammad Javad Hojjati Kermani came. He expressed his concern about the conditions after my responsibility and asked for Islamic encyclopedias and the preparation of biographies of the scholars of Kerman, and he had notes about current affairs.

The supervision and inspection board of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution came. Dr. [Hasan] Ghafouri Fard reported. I also gave warnings about observing impartiality in inspections and reports. In the evening, the managers of the radio came for the ceremony of starting the work of "Radio Javan". Mr. Dr. [Ali] Larijani, [head of the Broadcasting Organization], reported and I also spoke about the importance of paying attention to the education of the youth. And then some questions were asked by Mr. [Amir Hossein] Noorshahi, [radio morning show host], which I answered.

Mr. [Ali] Larijani came. He talked about the necessity of actively leaving the election contests in order to attract more people's participation in the elections. They expect me to encourage Dr. [Hasan] Habibi [first vice president] to participate in the elections. It is said that, with this request, some predict that the negative issues of the [fifth] parliamentary elections will not be repeated.

Yesterday, I went to the Chinese Embassy to condole the death of Mr. Deng Xiaoping, the leader of China. Dr. Velayati [Minister of Foreign Affairs] and Mohsen [Hashmi, Head of the President's Office] were also there. I wrote a note in the memorial book; Based on the realism of Deng, who understood the conditions of the time and made the necessary reforms in the country's politics and saved China from the danger that threatened the communist countries, and with these reforms, China took the path of development and construction.

Then, we went to Akhtar Hospital to get a dental veneer. Dr. Saeed Lahoti and Dr. [Amirnaser] Mohseni [Jam] prepared the tooth for veneering and made a mold so that the work will be finished in the next session.