PARIS -- Iran's Ambassador to Paris Sadeq Kharrazi here Friday highlighted the contribution of and efforts made by the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Imam Khomeini in shaping Iran's national identity.

Kharrazi, speaking at a meeting with the French journalists and political and academic figures, said such identity underlies all developments in the country, and that Iranian officials follow the standards of a movement that the late Imam initiated.

He said that Islam shapes an inseparable part of Iran's history, stressing that the Iranians, relying on their national identity, can never remain indifferent toward the developments in the Islamic world.

Kharrazi said Iran's national identity is not limited only to Muslim Iranians, adding that followers of all monotheist faiths can enjoy the protection of such identity as long as they do nothing to harm Iran's national security and independence.

He further said although Iran's political parties may engage in sever infighting with each other, they are all unanimous in protecting the country's national identity, religious identity, national security and independence, IRNA reported.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kharrazi said that the recent student rallies in Iran have all been carried out within the framework of acceptable norms, stressing that Iran's government believes the universities must be politically well oriented.

This, he said, is the demand of the Iranian government that the students engage themselves in political affairs. "The rallies were normal for the students, but they must be prudent in leading the social reforms in an appropriate and logical direction so as to bear the required results."