Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – October 21, 1996

Early in the morning we went to [Mehrabad] Airport and flew toward Ardabil. [Messrs. Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Gholam-Reza Shafei, and Isa Kalantari]—the Ministers of Energy, Cooperatives, and Agriculture—my brother Mohammad, [Executive Deputy of the President], Mohsen [Hashemi, Head of the President's Office], and the province's representatives were with me. [Messrs. Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh, Akbar Torkan, Gholam-Reza Forouzash, Abbas Akhoundi, and Alireza Marandi]—the Ministers of Industries, Roads [and Transportation], Construction [Jihad], Housing [and Urban Development], Health [, Treatment, and Medical Education]—joined later.

We had an official welcome and then an unparalleled popular welcome along the route. At the airport, I gave a short interview. At the city's large stadium, there was a huge gathering. First we had a program among the families of the war veterans and then among the general public. The welcome was by Mr. [Biyuk] Moravvej, the Friday Prayer Imam [of Ardabil], and the people's many slogans were very enthusiastic; in one of the interesting slogans, they praised me as the founder of Ardabil Province and are very grateful for this. On the previous trip, I agreed to Ardabil becoming a province, and it was done. After this, the province has developed rapidly and the people feel its effects. They performed a good anthem.

I too gave a detailed speech on the province's record and potentials and on the role of the Safavid family—who are from Ardabil—in the Shi'ization of Iran's system. I promised to connect the province to the railway and highway networks and to link it to the Azerbaijan railway and revive the Silk Road on this branch, which was beyond their expectations.

We had lunch, prayers, and a rest at the Governor-General's Office. Then we went to inaugurate the large cement factory. It produces 2,300 tons of cement a day. We visited the production line and took part in the inauguration ceremony. Several ceremonies for other projects were also held there, which were broadcast live across the country by the broadcasting organization. The Ministers of Industries, Housing and Urban Development, and Cooperatives, and [Mr. Hamdollah Mohammadnejad], Head of the National Gas Company, and [Mr. Abdol-Ali Ali-Asgari], Head of the Refah Stores, gave reports for the start of work of dozens of cooperative companies and projects and the creation of an administrative complex and housing projects and the inauguration of the gas of Meshkin Shahr, Sarein, and Khalkhal and the Refah store in Ardabil. [I awarded the Medal of Construction to three of the industry managers.] I too spoke about the importance of the projects and the province's development and the policy of continuing construction.

We flew to the site of the Quri Chai Dam in the southeast of Ardabil. Messrs. Zanganeh [Minister of Energy] and Kiafar, [Managing Director of the Ardabil Water Organization], gave explanations. It is a small dam, with a regulation capacity of about 30 million cubic meters of water, plus another reservoir beside it that holds the surplus water. The irrigation networks have also been implemented. I too spoke about the principled policy of dam-building and harnessing the country's waters. In the report they said that with the implementation of six dams, all the province's surface waters will be harnessed, and all are under construction. It is an important work. I unveiled the plaque and opened the discharge valve, and we filmed beside the water outlet.

We returned to the city. At the Telecommunications Center we said our prayers, and 178 postal and telecommunications and mobile phone projects were inaugurated. The managers spoke at length, and I spoke briefly on the importance of telecommunications and post and information dissemination. We went and inaugurated the 160-bed hospital of the Social Security Organization. After the visit and hearing the report, I spoke. This province is still behind other provinces in terms of hospitals.

We went to the mausoleum of Sheikh Safi [al-Din Ardabili]. We heard sufficient explanations from the head of the Cultural Heritage [Organization] and visited the museum of artifacts. They explained the program for weaving a carpet similar to the historical carpet of this region that is now in the Victoria Museum in London, and several other important historical carpets, and I tied the first knot to start the work.

We returned to the Governor-General's Office. Along all the routes, the informal and spontaneous gathering of the people is very interesting and more important than the official welcome at the entrance, which shows the people's deep affection. I met with the province's clerics and clergymen. Mr. [Biyuk] Moravvej, [the Friday Prayer Imam of Ardabil], gave a short speech, and I too spoke in detail about the role and duties of the clergy in history and in this Revolution. As usual on all trips, I remitted an amount as a gift to the clerics; 10 thousand tomans for the married and five thousand tomans for the single, and I had dinner with them.

I went to my room and read the reports. The issues of Afghanistan and Iraq are still drawing attention, and the trip of [Jacques] Chirac, the President of France, to Syria and several Middle Eastern countries is drawing special attention as a rivalry with America's presence.