TEHRANIranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has said that his country has every desire and readiness to promote its relations with the Western world, but he hastened to add that in case of America conduct is more important than rhetoric. According to IRNA, Kharrazi told BBC in an interview recorded in Geneva that Iran was actively trying to hold talks with all western countries in order to promote his country's ties with the west.

Kharrazi strongly denied allegations that Iran was involved in Algeria's unrest and said that it was known to all that Algeria's problem is domestic and there was no evidence to prove that there was any foreign or Iranian interference in Algerian troubles. The BBC quoted Kharazi as saying all of us trying to help Algeria to stop the massacres of inncocent people in that country.

Kharrazi said Saturday that U.S. has destroyed the trust of the Iranian nation by imposing economic sanctions, supporting terrorist groups, blocking Iran economically and interfering in its domestic affairs. Kharrazi told reporters that approval of a $20 million budget by the U.S. Congress to overthrow the Islamic Republic is a clear example of U.S. interference in Iran's internal affairs. Pointing to the d'Amato law, the foreign minister said despite its failure, the law is a good proof of Washington's hostility to Iran. He pointed out that in case the limitations imposed on American companies willing to take part in Iran's oil projects are lifted, conditions in the region will improve considerably.

Kharrazi touched on Iran's small defense budget compared to many other countries and said Iran has never launched aggression on its neighbors and its defense expenses are by far less than those of other countries and that Iran's military structure is basically of a defensive nature. A general assessment of Iran in the past 20 years shows that everything has been improving, he said.

The Iranian society is not administered by the decisions of one person and there are various tendencies, he said adding, this is the nature of the Iranian system and Iran's social and political developments should be realized as a whole. On the recent Iraq-UN stand-off, Kharrazi believed that the Iraqi crisis is very complicated and ``this is a case for which we cannot say a solution can be found.'' Stressing that a possible U.S. attack on Iraq will not help settle the crisis but will broaden its dimensions, he said the problem cannot be settled through military operations.

Kharrazi advocated diplomatic efforts by the Security Council and other countries. Expressing concern over massacre of people in Algeria and the Algerian government's refusal to cooperate with the UN, European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to arrest those responsible for the carnage, he said the Algerian government by rejecting international initiatives has intensified suspicions and the international society must prevent massacre of Algerian people.

Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Iran has respected the territorial integrity and independence of all countries and there is no evidence of Iran's interference in the affairs of others. On Iran's assistance to Lebanese Hezbollah, he said the party is campaigning to liberate its land from Israeli occupation and for its sovereignty and that Iran's humanitarian assistance and support for popular campaigns to liberate their lands leaves no room for question.

Turning to the freedom of expression, social rights and stability in Iran, he said the Iranian mass media enjoy freedom of expression and are free to criticize the high ranking officials of the country. Iran has a very strong Majlis (Parliament) and is the most stable country in the region, Kharrazi concluded.