President Mohammad Khatami on Wednesday urged Japanese parliamentarians to "participate in joint efforts to create and strengthen a safe and peaceful atmosphere in Asia and the world, for the acceleration of the process of an all-round development of every nation, and the expansion of relations between Japan and the Islamic Republic of Iran." The reality is that most Asian countries were under direct or indirect colonial rule of arrogant powers.
This is one reason this continent suffered and is still suffering from various social, political and economic evils.
The last century saw an apparent end to the same direct and indirect colonial rule in most Asian countries. But it will take a long time for these countries to cleanse themselves of the evils of the past.
The Asian Continent is rich in its natural and manpower resources, the essential ingredients for a prosperous society. But before those ingredients can be used, the people of Asia must have a healthy perspective for their future.
With a healthy perspective we can avoid discrimination among man. It is discrimination that leads people to start wars, terrorism, and impose dictatorial rules.
Democracy -- in its true spirit -- is necessary for overall human progress. Unfortunately, there are still many countries where, openly or in the name of democracy, brutal dictators are ruling.
Such dictators and those who believe in social, cultural or political discrimination must understand that the next century belongs to Asia.
Countries such as Iran, Japan, China and India can play a crucial role in shaping the future of Asia; this is what President Khatami expects from Japanese lawmakers.
If we want to expedite the process of reforms in Asia, we must carve a mechanism through which we can present a healthy program for a bright future. This mechanism should be one of people to people, rather than government to government.