TEHRAN Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis), Mahdi Karrubi, here on Saturday said that the presence of four million illiterates under the age of 40 is a reality that does not suit the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic system.

Addressing officials of the Iranian Literacy Movement, he said that the Founder of the Islamic Republic, the late Imam Khomeini, had always stressed the need to eradicate illiteracy in the country.

Praising the great efforts by the staff of the Literacy Movement, he underlined the need for making use of the country's tremendous potentials through appropriate planning for the future.

As to the emphasis placed by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, President Mohammad Khatami and the Iranian government on the need to strengthen the movement, Karrubi said that Majlis and its deputies will provide it with a sufficient budget and will assure that they will do all they can to settle the existing problems facing the movement.

Meanwhile, the head of the Literacy Movement, Hojatoleslam Mohsen Qara'ti, briefed the Majlis speaker on the performance of the movement.

(IRNA)