President Mohammad Khatami of Iran yesterday hailed "the great American people," in a speech outlining his vision of an Iranian society where human rights are respected, laws obeyed and women given status.
In the warmest words towards the US by an Iranian leader since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Mr Khatami repeatedly stressed his "great respect for the great people of the United States".
"I would like to express my respect to the nation and great people of the United States. I hope in the not too distant future I will be able to address the American people," he told a press conference.
Mr Khatami, who won an unexpected victory in elections in May, on a platform promising greater openness, also surprised those listening with relatively liberal expressions on the role of women and individual rights, saying "the perception that women are the second sex is very dangerous. Women can achieve very senior positions". Mr Khatami said he had long supported "removing tension from the world," but avoided questions about official dialogue with Washington.
"Our political problems with the US are too complex to be easily resolved, but I hope all politicians who enjoy the weapon of logic will contribute so that we can all live in peace," he said.
The President rejected charges by Washington that Tehran has supported terrorism.
Mr Khatami also expanded on the "Islamic civil society" he has promoted since taking office - praising women, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
"I am seriously pursuing efforts to make sure the rights of people in Iran are protected," he said.
"Within the law people have rights, and nobody has the right to deny them that right. Definitely there is much we can borrow from the West on this, even their type of civil society." And he spoke on the status of women, who have been forced since 1979 to cover themselves from head to toe in public. "We don't want male chauvinism or female chauvinism. We want merit to rule . . . The perception that women are the second sex is very dangerous. Women are the first sex and they can achieve very senior positions," he said.