(IRNA) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Monday, "All concerned government bodies are obliged to defend the rights of the Iranians living abroad." Emphasizing that the Iranians living abroad are there for academic, business, or research reasons, Ahmadinejad added, "We need to consider the Iranian nationals' presence in various parts of the world as an opportunity."
According to the Presidential Office Media Department, the president made the comments in a meeting with the members of the Supreme Council for Iranian Expatriates' Affairs, adding, "We need to prepare the ground for more visits by Iranians living abroad, taking advantage of their talents, and encourage them to take part in national development projects, reports Trend.
Ahmadinejad considered the Iranian expatriates as "The ambassadors of Iranian and Islamic culture and members of the great Iranian nation that have been in various fields defenders of Iran's rights."