TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s congratulatory message to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama was similar to his letter to U.S. President George W. Bush, government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said here on Saturday.

The letter to Obama was completely in line with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s principles and was based on the Islamic Revolution’s policy of dialogue, Elham told reporters at his weekly press briefing.
The comments came after some figures, including the Qom Friday prayers leader, called the letter a premature move.
In his letter to Bush in 2006, Ahmadinejad proposed a return to religious principles as a means of restoring confidence.
In his letter to Obama, sent on November 6, Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama on his victory in the U.S. presidential election and said that it is expected that fundamental and clear changes will be made in Washington’s foreign and domestic policies as demanded by all nations and the citizens of the United States.
Elham said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never had a negative attitude toward interaction with the international community.
Establishing relations on an equal footing and avoiding unilateralism and hegemonistic attitudes are Iran’s principles, he explained.
And the Iranian president will welcome any positive change in U.S. foreign policy, he added.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is based on justice, security, mutual respect, and respect for every nation’s independence and works for world peace, and the president’s letter is based on these key principles, he stated.
------Zionist regime has nothing to do with any religion
The government spokesman also commented on the Saudi-sponsored two-day conference on dialogue among religions and the culture of peace, which leaders and diplomats from 75 countries attended, including U.S. and Zionist regime officials, and that ended in New York on Friday.
The Zionist regime has nothing to do with any religion and Judaism is completely different than Zionism, Elham insisted.
Today, many Jewish people are concerned about Zionism and denounce it since it has inflicted great harm on them, he added.
“Judaism has much in common with other religions since they all respect humanity and endeavor to promote the spirit of humanitarianism,” he noted.
It is praiseworthy to encourage dialogue among religions on the basis of their affinities, but the invitation of Israel ruined their efforts since the Zionist regime has nothing to do with any religion or the approach of the messengers of God, he said