TEHRAN, Jan. 10 (Mehr News Agency) -- Iran's largest aluminum plant came on stream on Saturday in the southern city of Bandar Abbas. The Hormozal plant has an annual production capacity of 147,000 tons of aluminum and cost 400 million euros and 2 trillion rials (about $200 million).

The new facility will increase the country's annual aluminum production capacity by 47 percent, boosting it from 310,000 tons to 457,000 tons.

In a speech at the plant's inauguration ceremony, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the most important task is to develop Iran.

In their efforts to create prosperity for the country, the Iranian nation will not succumb to the Western pressure, he added in an indirect reference to the West's efforts to deprive Iran of its right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

"The administration assures the dear people and the Leader that it will strongly defend Iran's rights and will not back down at all," Ahmadinejad stated.

"The enemy imagines they can create obstacles for the Iranian people, but they should know the Iranian nation will continue on their path," he added.

"They issued several resolutions and sanctioned Iran... they think Iranians will fall on their knees over these things but they are mistaken," he observed.

"We are not interested in conflict, (but) you (the major powers) are continually demanding things," he stated.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ahmadinejad said Iran has made a proposal for the eradication of all nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and will vehemently pursue the issue.

"Now the Iranian nation is a litigant for nuclear disarmament. All countries must dismantle their nuclear weapons, and we will stand firm on this matter."

... Payvand News - 01/10/10 ... --