MNA � Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that countries which build walls around themselves will be destroyed from inside and will achieve no progress.

He made the remarks Saturday in a meeting with heads of knowledge-based companies and startups in Tehran.

Pointing to Trump�s administration insistence on building physical walls along its southern borders, Rouhani said, �they do not know that all their progress were because of the fact that there existed no walls for many years.�

If there is any growth and progress in the United States, it is because of the presence of different nationalities in the country, he highlighted.

President described working towards self-sufficiency as a practical fight against imperialism and major powers, adding, �sanctions are aimed at reducing the growth of technology in our country � but we need to use sanctions as an opportunity for growth.�

Referring to sanctions, he said, �some countries think that sanctions are a way for reducing the pace of development in a country�. �Of course, this increases motivation for us in the country, so that we can produce the part we used to import.�

Rouhani described freedom of thought as the most important infrastructure for progress in science, society and politics, adding, �we believe that development in science and technology happens under freedom.�

Appreciating the work of knowledge-based enterprises and Presidential Deputy for Science and Technology, Rouhani said, �in the past 5 years, very good work has been done in science and technology.�

�One of the responsibilities of the government is facilitating communication with the world,� he continued, adding, �we need to have close relations with different intellectuals from different countries.�

Rouhani also went on to say, �every new technology that is built inside the country has to be exported after supplying the domestic demands.�

He also said, �we need to help knowledge enterprises in different fields such as insurance, tax, loans and other fields to achieve our desired result.�