Baku, Azerbaijan, April 30
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Economic development is neither possible nor useful without culture, Iranian Supreme Leader has remarked.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the remarks during a visit to Iranian Power plant Projects Management Company (MAPNA) and meeting with the companies' workers on April 30, ahead of the International Workers' Day, Iran's ISNA news agency reported on April 30.
Khamenei underlined that "the current year's slogan-culture and economy- is motto of our life."
The Iranian Supreme Leader has named the new Iranian year (started on March 21) the year of "Economy and Culture with National Determination."
Iran will mark International Workers' Day indoors at a reception hall on May 1.
Workers in Iran have been barred from holding street rallies in celebration of the workers day since 2007.
Iranian minister of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, Ali Rabie, announced on April 28 that the reason for not holding a march is that president Hassan Rouhani plans to give a speech at the ceremony.
The head of Workers House, Alireza Mahjoub, has protested the government's decision not to issue the permit for the May Day march.
Freedom of assembly is a basic worker's right according to the Iranian legislation, Mahjoub said, adding that there is no justification for refusing to issue the permit.