Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 9, 1994

Dr. Velayati came and reported on his trip to five African countries. He said they want more economic and weapons cooperation. Wherever the exhibition of Iranian goods has been established, the reception of the people has been very good. He asked me to travel to Africa.

Timsar [Mansour] Sattari, [Army Air Force Commander] came. He said the situation of Nahaja and the state of defense readiness and the activation of many Iraqi planes and the progress of the aircraft industry.

[Aliben Khalifa al-Hatami], Speaker of the Qatari Parliament, came. He is a commoner and uses ordinary words with problems. The negotiations were formal. [Mohammad Saleh Basandouh], the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yemen, came and explained the economic and political problems of his country, including Saudi Arabia's interference in Yemeni politics and the problems of the differences between the president and his vice president, and asked for Iran's help. Dr. Velayati said separately, they want both weapons and economic aid.

Our new ambassador came to Sierra Leone to say goodbye and ask for an opinion. He told the report of the work of Jihad and schools of prayer. Dr. [Hasan] Habibi, [first vice president] came. I told him to activate the government spokesperson. He criticized Mr. [Ali Mohammad] Basharti's [minister] statements about the satellite.

In the evening, the Supreme Council of National Security had a meeting. Dr. Velayati raised the demand of some African countries to buy weapons. We approved the general principle of sale, which should be approved by the Supreme Security Council, case by case. Dr. [Hassan] Rouhani, [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council], reported on his trip to Syria and the news of the Palestinian groups' trip to Libya. Then there was a discussion about Hajj and Arabia. Sarshab and Dr. Rouhani discussed the position of the head of the Strategic Research Center for Mr. [Abdullah] Nouri. I came home at nine o'clock at night.