Thank you, professor, to be with us here today.
You have partially answered some of my questions, but I still want to put you some questions in order to have more information.
As we know, Canada is not a member of the P5+1 group and it is not located in the same area of the world as Iran. We do not have any significant trade with this country. Given this situation, what influence could Canada exert on Iran?
When you appeared in front of the subcommittee in March 2007, you said and I quote:The average Iranian does not wake up in the morning fantasizing about nuclear capability or about wiping Israel off the map. This is an expedient of President Ahmadinejad because this kind of polemic is the only thing he can offer the Iranian people as they decline further and further into hopelessness, social despair and economic decline.
You also said that our policy toward Iran should be focussed directly on human rights within the country and not only on the foreign policy of Iran.
Has your view on this evolved or has it stayed the same as in your testimony of March 2007, given what has happened in Iran in the past two years?
In a report published in Maclean's, you say that to put the focus on the nuclear issue in Iran was a mistake. You have explained to us in length why this is so, but do you have anything to add?
Also, in your remarks, you talked about yesterday's statements made by the president and his openness to cooperation. I would like to know whether you have anything to add to this.
These are my four questions. I will give you the rest of my time to explain your points of view.