BN OY Gil (ery mes loced pil bs 9p rloboorbgrtilsove we CONFIDENTIAL PROG 7/24/79 CHG:LBLAINGEN ECON: MJOHNSON NONE ECON-3 CHG, POL RF CHRON AMENBASSY TEHRAN SECSTATE WASHDC» PRIORITY £.0, 12065: GDS 7/24/85 (JOHNSON, MARK) OR-E TAGS: EFINs EGENs PEPR, IR SUBJECT: CALL ON MINISTER OF FINANCE ARDALAN 1, (C- ENTIRE TEXT) 2. CHARGE, ACCOMPANIED BY VISITING DEPTOFFs LALLED ON MINISTER OF FINANCE ALI ARDALAN JULY 23.. ARDALAN WAS JOINED BY DEPUTY MINISTER DR. IBRAHIM-ZADEH WHO INTER= PRETED. 3. CHARGE OPENED CONVERSATION BY FXPLAINING OUR UNDER- STANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE REVOLUTION. WE WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH IRAN IN THE TASK GF REBUILDING CUR RELATIONS AND STOOD READY TO COMPEPATE IN THOSE AREAS WHERE IRAN FELT WE COULD PLAY A USEFUL ROLE. CHARGE SAID WE SHARED COMMON INTERESTS AND ASSETS» SUCH AS OUR COMMERCIAL PELATIONSHIPS, WHICH COULD AID THIS REBUILDING. 4. ARDALAN REPLIED BY OFFERING HIS VISITORS A HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE LONG AND FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP. BETWEEN. IRAN AND THE U.S. THE MEMORIES OF THOSE AMERICANS WHO WORKED IN IRAN IN THE EARLY YEARS AFTER IRAN'S CONSTITU~ TIONAL UPRISING WERE CHERISHED BY {RANIANS. ARDALAN SPOKE FONDLY OF DR. JORDAN, AN AMERICAN WHO HELPED ESTABLISH ALBORZ COLLEGE WHERE MANY IRANIANS HAD GOTTEN THELR FIRST TASTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION. SIMILARLY, IRANIAN PATRIOTS REMEMBERED PEOPLE LIKE MORGAN SHUSTER AND HOWARD BASKERVILLE-IN TABRIZ WHO SYMPATHIZED WITH THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE. HE AGREEO THAT THESE PAST RELATIONSHIPS WOULD INFLINENCE THE FUTURE. ARDALAN HGPED ThAT THE NEW GROUP OF AMERICAN. REPRESENTATIVES WOULD HAVE THE SAME FEELING TOWARD IRAN. 5. TURNING TO SUBJECT OF BANK NATIONALIZATIONS» THE MINISTER EMPHASIZED THAT FORBIGN INTERESTS WOULD BE PROTECTED AND RESPECTED, THIS WAS REQUIRED BY BOTH -1-