SARI -- President Mohammad Khatami on Thursday night ended his three-day Caspian Mazandaran Province tour, which marked the operation of of 179 industrial, construction, telecommunication and irrigation plans. Talking at an Administrative Council of the province before heading for Tehran, the Iranian chief executive also stressed that the country needs to employ foreign assistance and investment for its development. "To utilize foreign potentials is not a sign of dependence and misery and we must use any possible opportunities in the world for the development and progress of our society and resolving the existing problems," Khatami said. "Misery and dependence is to have a group of unemployed and educated people being in need of their square meal and we officials fail to find a solution," he added. Khatami cited unemployment as among the main worries of the state and officials, saying the total state budget for development is far less to handle this national problem. "The investment and use of the private sector in economic and industrial activities are the main solutions to the problems of the society," he said. Khatami, however, said that one must not expect the country to solve its problems overnight. "If we want a fundamental solution to the unemployment problem, we need a minute, comprehensive and a long term planing as well as more investments," he said. Another major problem is the lack of skilled labor in the industry and production sector, the Iranian president said, adding "Unfortunately, our educational centers have currently turned into training those people who have little link with the society." Khatami also called for the promotion of downstream and small size industries, saying "If we fail to pave the ground for the attraction of domestic and foreign investors ... our problems will still remain." He cited the creation of 450,000 job opportunities in the last Iranian fiscal year as "unprecedented in the country's history, but added that the Islamic Republic is still far behind its national development target to establish one million jobs annually. Khatami talked to provincial people during trips to the cities of Sari, Behshahr, Nour, Noshahr, Babol, Babolsar, Qaemshahr, Ton-e-Kabon, Amol and Galougah, IRNA reported. He also granted rls.315 billion credit for the province's rehabilitation as well as execution of cultural and economic programs, beside for creating jobs in the province which is reeling from a 13.2 percent unemployment rate. The Mazandaran Province is brimming with untapped potentials and needs urgent assistance, especially for harnessing its water energy and exploitation of fertile farming lands, he said. The government, Khatami said, has allocated rls.300 billion in the current Iranian year which started May 21, 2002 for the greenhouse flower plantation in the province. He cited fisheries, shipping, tourism, textiles and marine industry as among potentials in the Mazandaran Province for development.