Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy (2018-2021) addressed the first day of the Free Iran World Summit on July 1, 2023.

Peter Altmaier: Be Prepared for Democracy and Freedom in Iran

The full text of Former German Minister Peter Altmaier’s remarks, is as follows:

President Rajavi distinguished guests, dear friends, but above all, dear Iranian friends in Germany, in France, in Europe, and around all over the world. You, and especially the young Iranian people in Iran itself, are the real heroes of our time, and you deserve all our support and all our help.

I’m so impressed by the patience and by the readiness of the Iranian people to work very hard over decades to implement freedom and democracy in Iran. And President Rajavi, as I said yesterday already, your Ten-Points plan is much more than a Ten-Points plan. It is a universal declaration of the basic value of individual freedom and democracy. And therefore, I’m convinced that this Ten-Points Plan has to play a key role in the efforts now to be developed, the efforts of the Iranian people have entered a new stage.

After the terrific nuclear activities of Iran, after the oppression of the uprise by the regime in Tehran and in the country, the regime has made another, even more disastrous crime. They have chosen to side with Russia in the war against Ukraine. They have built a coalition. And when you look at that coalition, President Putin has oppressed his freedom-loving people for many years President Lukashenko from Belarus has oppressed his freedom-loving people for many years and killed many of them. And the Iranian regime has oppressed its own youth and hope for the future. This is a coalition of oppressors, and they may not overcome it. They have to be stopped. They will lose and they will collapse.

And therefore, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, let’s be prepared. And my suggestion today would be for my own country for all the Europeans in political functions, for all of you, that we rally around the Ten-Points Plan that we convince as many people, as many parliaments, as many governments to back it and that we start concrete preparation for a change in Iran.

As it was by the French Foreign Minister, you have to prepare for freedom and democracy. You have recognized the principles. But I remember when the Allied Forces in 1944 invaded Germany by landing in Normandy. They brought with them not only the weapons and the soldiers, they brought with them plans and lists of names and of democratic organizations and of local and regional elections to be held in liberated Germany. And that is exactly what the Iranian people are waiting for. They are still optimistic. They still hope that this nightmare of oppression will end.

And all of us have the responsibility to support you and to prove solidarity with you because you deserve it. Freedom deserves. All free people in the world deserve it.

Thank you so much for your attention. And finally, as somebody interested in history, I always wanted to visit this wonderful country of Iran. But during all my political career, I always thought it was not the right moment. But one thing is clear for me. As soon as you have overcome, and I think it will happen not in decades, but in months or years, as soon as you have overcome, I will visit Tehran. And then I will meet all of you in a free country that will give hope to the rest of the world. Thank you very much indeed.