The Iranian president made the remarks after the inaugural ceremony of Sarvestan and Sa'adatabad oilfields as well as Hafiz-e Shiraz Gas Power Plant in the Southern province of Fars on Tuesday.
"Once when in academic circles it was said that the oil and gas exploitation equipments should be indigenized, everyone wondered with doubt, but today this is happening in the country as we saw in Fars (province)," President Ahmadinejad said.
In similar remarks in October, Ayatollah Khamenei hailed the country's experts and scientists for their strenuous efforts which have resulted in Iran's rapid scientific advancement, and urged the country's researchers not to hesitate one moment about continuing their firm movement on the path of progress.
Addressing a large number of young elites in Tehran at the time, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed pleasure in the atmosphere of dialogue and interaction dominating the country's scientific move and progress, but meantime urged the Iranian scientists to accelerate their efforts.
"Of course there is one concern that a status of satiation and satisfaction will be created due to the country's rapid scientific move and this is while we are still at the start of the path and this (present) scientific speed should not be decelerated or stopped," he underlined.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran is lagging behind the world's top countries in area of science and technology because it had been ruled by dependent, ignorant and autocratic rulers for centuries.
Thus, this wide distance with the world's top scientific powers and the existence of rather powerful rivals in the region double the necessity for Iran's accelerated scientific move towards a top position in area of science which deserves the Iranian nation's prestige, he added.
Iran has taken wide strides in science and technology, particularly in medical and medicinal fields, in recent years.
In similar remarks earlier this month, Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi lauded the Iranian scientists and experts for their achievements and breakthroughs, and said Iran will soon come to stand among the world's first 10 top countries in area of science production despite the US-led western sanctions on the country.
"Iran will stand among the first nine countries in terms of science production in the world and the US will lose its first rank in next few years," Rahimi said, addressing the 26th International Kharazmi Festival here in Tehran.
mehr/281