Israeli, Argentine leaders condemn Iran

Buenos Aires - Presidents Shimon Peres of Israel and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina slammed Iran in a joint press conference Monday in Buenos Aires. Peres, who arrived Sunday in Argentina following a visit to Brazil, questioned the policies of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly denied the Holocaust, and more specifically the "development of nuclear weapons on the part of Iran."

Fernandez de Kirchner also repeated long-standing demands by Argentina that Iran extradite its Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi to stand trial for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in central Buenos Aires.

Fernandez de Kirchner stressed "the need for Iran to accept that the people wanted by Argentine Justice, some of them (Iranian) officials, stand before Argentine Justice."

Argentine justice officials have asked Interpol to arrest Vahidi, an Iranian general, arguing that he was one of five high Iranian officials who took part in a meeting where the bombing was planned. Eighty-five people died in the blast.

Ahmadinejad has snapped back that Buenos Aires is pandering to "the interest of a minority of Zionists in Argentina" by making the charges. Argentina is home to the largest Jewish community in Latin America.

Earlier this year, Vahidi was designated Iran's defence minister.

Peres was set to visit the site of the attack Tuesday. He also noted the 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires which left 29 dead, and called for "a civilized world" without violent killings.

When asked about Ahmadinejad's friendship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is also a close ally of the Argentine government, Fernandez de Kirchner stressed that "Argentina does not allow anyone to choose its friends and does not intend to choose anyone else's friend's either."

"Argentina's position is one of profound respect for each and every country to direct the destiny of their policies, not only in South America but in the whole world," she said.

Ahmadinejad is set to visit Brazil next week.

Fernandez de Kirchner expressed Argentina's commitment to "definitive peace in the Middle East, based on the coexistence of the two countries in a peaceful way."

"We insist on the need for the existence of a Palestinian state that is recognized by all," she said.

Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is set to visit Brazil, Argentina and Chile on a South American tour starting Friday.