Iran pres. nominates 4 new ministers

Wed Jul 27, 2011

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has nominated four candidates to receive the Majlis (parliament) vote of confidence before running four ministries.

In a letter to the Majlis on Wednesday, President Ahmadinejad named Mohammad Abbasi, Abdolreza Sheikholeslami, Mehdi Ghazanfari and Rostam Qasemi respectively for the posts of ministers at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Ministry of Cooperative, Labor and Social Welfare, Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade as well as Ministry of Oil, IRIB reported.

Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said that the parliamentarians will discuss the subject of candidates during a session on Tuesday.

On June 29, Iranian lawmakers approved the merger of the three ministries of Welfare and Social Security, Labor and Social Affairs as well as Cooperative into the new Ministry of Cooperative, Labor and Social Welfare.

The legislators also passed a bill to merge the ministries of Industries and Mines and Commerce to institute the new Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade.

The announcement came after the Iranian chief executive declared the establishment of the new Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, following the Majlis' vote of confidence to Ali Nikzad, the candidate to run the ministry.

The Majlis has also rejected Hamid Sajjadi as the proposed candidate for the new Ministry of Sports and Youth.

Under Iran's Fifth Five-Year Development Plan from 2010 to 2015, the government had to reduce its ministries from 21 to 17 to improve the efficiency of the country's administration.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/190994.html.

Iran president proposes Guards commander as oil minister

By REUTERS
Jul 27, 2011

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proposed to parliament on Wednesday a Revolutionary Guards commander as his choice for oil minister, state radio reported.

“I introduce Rostam Qasemi as the oil minister nominee to the parliament,” Ahmadinejad said in a letter to lawmakers.

Qasemi is head of the Khatam Al-Anbia construction base, an engineering and construction company controlled by the elite Guards. Parliament will debate a vote of confidence for Qasemi on August 3.

The Guards has played a growing economic role in the Islamic Republic since Ahmadinejad first took office in 2005.

The UN Security Council in June blacklisted 15 firms belonging to the Guards Corps. for their alleged role in Iran’s nuclear activities, which the United States and its allies say is a cover to build bombs.

Iran denies this, saying it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity.

Ahmadinejad took control of the ministry in May as he sought to merge it with the Energy Ministry in an effort to slim down the government. The merger plan has since been put on hold.

By law the president has three months after removing a minister — in this case Oil Minister Massoud Mirkazemi — to introduce a new candidate to parliament. During that period he can act as caretaker himself or appoint someone to the post.

Ahmadinejad came under fire by critics in parliament after he relinquished the role of caretaker oil minister himself — a role both parliament and Iran’s constitutional watchdog said was illegal — and appointed Mohammad Aliabadi, one of his close allies, to the post in June.

Lawmakers said Aliabadi, former head of Iran’s Olympic Committee, lacked experience and knowledge.

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article478775.ece.

Ahmadinejad predicts collapse of Israel, US in near future

Jun 3, 2011

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday predicted the disappearance of Israel and its main ally, the United States, in the near future.

'I am certain that the region will soon witness the collapse of Israel and the US,' Ahmadinejad said in a speech at the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late supreme leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

June 4 marks the 22nd anniversary of the takeover by the ayatollah, who was subsequently replaced in June 1989 by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran's supreme leader.

Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being the main factor in regional and global insecurity and blamed the administration of US President Barack Obama for supporting the Jewish state.

The Iranian president caused international condemnation in 2005 when he said that Israel should be eliminated from the Middle East map and transferred to Europe or North America.

International isolation of the Islamic republic escalated after Ahmadinejad held a Holocaust conference in 2006 in which he questioned that the killing of 6 million Jews in Europe during World War II had ever happened.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1643405.php/Ahmadinejad-predicts-collapse-of-Israel-US-in-near-future.

Iranian lawmakers file lawsuit against president: report

TEHRAN, May 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior member of the Iranian Majlis (Parliament) said a number of lawmakers have filed a lawsuit against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration for violating the constitution, the English language satellite Press TV reported Tuesday.

On February 28, a number of legislators filed suit against the government with the Majlis Presiding Board for the government's refraining from implementing the Iranian Constitution, lawmaker Fazel Moussavi was quoted as saying.

Majlis Presiding Board referred the lawsuit to the Article 90 Commission of the Majlis which was assigned with probing into the case and determine whether the lawsuit is valid or not. It should next send a letter to the Majlis Presiding Board to announce the result. The Presiding Board will then present a report to the Majlis, said the report.

The Article 90 Commission which is established in the Iranian parliament to pursue issues around the Article 90 of Iranian Constitution, deals with the complaints against Iran's government, parliament or judiciary performance. The Article 90 Commission studies the written complaints presented to them and announces the findings.

If the Majlis validates the report about the president or each of the cabinet ministers in three separate times, the impeachment motion will be put on the Majlis agenda based on the Article 89 of the Constitution, added Press TV.

Moussavi said that 12 lawmakers have signed the lawsuit against the government for some 50 cases of Constitution violation, according to the report.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-05/17/c_13879598.htm.

Iranian Parliament Rejects Ahmadinejad's Sports Ministry Candidate

June 21, 2011

Iran's parliament has rejected the candidate of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad as the first-ever sports minister of the country, dealing the president a fresh blow on an increasingly fractious political scene.

Fars news agency reported that more than 55 percent of the deputies rejected the nomination of 43-year-old Hamid Sajadi, an Asian champion long-distance runner in the 1990s.

The move was another signal of the parliament's opposition to the president. Ahmadinejad had explicitly asked legislators to approve the minister and the new ministry as being in the national interest.

Meanwhile, Iran's deputy foreign minister, Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, has resigned under pressure from hard-liners and lawmakers who sought to impeach him. Fars reported that his resignation had been accepted.

Ahmadinejad was recently chastened by parliament amid ambitious cabinet reforms when lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to report him to the judiciary over "illegally" trying to put himself in charge of the Oil Ministry. The parliamentary move came after the powerful Guardians Council rebuked him on the same topic.

He has also clashed publicly with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who ordered the reinstatement of Iran's intelligence chief, Heyday Moslehi, after Ahmadinejed dismissed him.

After a prolonged hiatus from official appearances, the president took the unusual step of downplaying talk of a rift with Khamenei in a state television interview in mid-May.

Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE / RL).
Link: http://www.rferl.org/content/iran_parliament_rejects_ahmadinejad_sports_ministry_candidate/24241617.html.

Three Iranian ministers removed amid president's plan to merge ministries

TEHRAN, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's oil minister was removed along with two other ministers on Saturday by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad amid a plan to merge some ministries of the country, an information officer from the Oil Ministry told Xinhua.

In three separate decrees on Saturday, Ahmadinejad dismissed Welfare and Social Security Minister Sadeq Mahsouli, Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian and Oil Minister Masoud Mir-Kazemi from their posts according to the 53rd article of the country's Fifth Five-Year Development Plan, the English language satellite Press TV reported.

The Iranian president expressed gratitude to the ministers for their "honest efforts and services which had an influential role in the successes of the government," said the report.

According to 53rd article of Iran's Fifth Five-Year Development Plan (2010-2015), the Iranian government is obliged to reduce its ministries form 21 to 17 to officially improve the efficiency of state administration.

Last Monday, the cabinet ministers announced Ahmadinejad government's downsizing plan to merge ministries of Roads and Transportation with Housing and Urban Development, Energy with Oil, Industries and Mines with Commerce, and Welfare and Social Security with Labor and Social Affairs.

The Iranian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani disagreed on Tuesday with the government plan to merge ministries and warned against "heavy costs" of the plan.

Calling for an end to the "illegal" move of merge of ministries, Larijani said the plan should first be approved by the Majlis.

The government's decision to merge ministries before the Majlis endorsement would be costly and should be stopped, Larijani was quoted as saying by Press TV.

"If the Iranian government communicated an approval on the merger of eight ministries, it has acted against the law," said the speaker.

In response to Larijani's comments, Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad-Reza Mir-Tajeddini said that the government acted legally and in accordance with the country's Fifth Five-Year Development Plan.

"The government decided based on the plan and communicated it to the ministers. It also sent the plan to the Majlis to ensure its conformity with law," Mir-Tajeddini was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-05/15/c_13875091.htm.

Ahmadinejad's tenure threatened

TEHRAN, April 29 (UPI) -- Several Iranian lawmakers announced they were calling for the impeachment of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad amid Cabinet disputes.

Twelve members of the Iranian Parliament called for Ahmadinejad's impeachment, reports Radio Zamaneh, a Persian-language broadcaster in the Netherlands. Parliamentary laws stipulate that at least 10 members must sign a demand for impeachment before the matter is processed by the speaker.

Conservative members of the Iranian Parliament said Ahmadinejad wasn't following the orders of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The ruling cleric is said to have opposed a move by the president to accept the resignation of the country's intelligence minister.

Ahmadinejad issued a presidential order dismissing Manouchehr Mottaki from the position of foreign minister while Mottaki was on an official trip to Senegal in December.

Khamenei reportedly tried to block Ahmadinejad from firing Mottaki, though he had long been on the president's list of potential replacements.

The Wall Street Journal as far back as November cited unspecified "reports of challenges" to Ahmadinejad's tenure.

The reports said some lawmakers think his Cabinet "must be held accountable" to Iranian lawmakers for a "lack of transparency" that is hurting the Islamic republic.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/04/29/Ahmadinejads-tenure-threatened/UPI-11001304097630/.

Iran pres. envisions US-Israel free ME

Wed Apr 13, 2011

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has envisaged a new Middle East without the United States and Israel amid the duo's 'ploys to spark an Iranian-Arabian Shia-Sunni conflict.'

“A new Middle East will emerge without the presence of the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) and their allies in the near future,” said President Ahmadinejad in an address to thousands of people in the southeastern city of Zahedan in Sistan-Baluchestan province.

He denounced the US imperialism in the region and added, “Regional governments and nations should remain vigilant to overcome US plots and to not play in the US court.”

The Iranian chief executive emphasized that Israel is nearing its end and pointed out, “Regional nations have awakened but the global arrogance intends to sow discord among countries in the region.”

He said regional nations, particularly the Iranian nation, are disaffected by the “colonialist and arrogant” plans of the US and its allies.

“The Iranian people and regional nations are unhappy with the existence of the Zionist regime (Israel) and are against it. They will continue their fight until the defeat of the US and Zionist regime in the region,” the Iranian president reiterated.

He said the bullying powers have been the main supporters of all dictators for the past 50 years, adding that they are currently seeking to sow dissension among regional people in an attempt to save Israel.

President Ahmadinejad warned against efforts by the bullying powers to disintegrate Jordan, saying that they are hatching the plot to claim that two governments will be formed.

He called on all regional countries to keep a watchful eye on such conspiracies and emphasized, “You should know that regional nations will never ever recognize the Zionist regime.”

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174570.html.

Ahmadinejad vows no compromise at nuclear talks

Tue, 18 Jan 2011

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Tuesday reiterated Iran would not compromise over its nuclear program at multilateral talks scheduled later this week in Istanbul.

"Today we are making progress in the nuclear field and they can say and do whatever they want," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA.

The president said that United Nations Security Council resolutions and sanctions would not stop the Iranian nuclear drive.

"They can even issue 100,000 resolutions," he said, "like we care."

Iran is scheduled to resume the nuclear talks with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States on Friday and Saturday in Istanbul.

The six countries will be represented in Istanbul by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, and the Iranian side by chief nuclear negotiator Saedi Jalili.

So far Iran has not only rejected the main demand by the six powers, suspension of uranium enrichment, but has objected to even including the nuclear dispute in the agenda for the meeting.

Tehran has said that if the other nations acknowledge Iran's right to pursue a civil nuclear program, then the Islamic state would be ready "to discuss the framework for future cooperation on the basis of mutual interest."

Tehran says that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and transparent and it is not pursuing a secret military program as suspected by many Western countries.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362842,no-compromise-nuclear-talks.html.

Iran's Ahmadinejad fires 14 senior advisers - Summary

Sun, 02 Jan 2011

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has fired 14 of his senior advisers, the Mehr news agency reported Sunday.

One of the president's most senior advisers and closest aide for five years, Mehdi Kalhor, confirmed the dismissals, including his own, but said he did not know the reason.

The media and cultural advisory said he and the other 13 received Sunday a letter of thanks and appreciation from the president without further elaboration.

Observers believe the dismissals might be political or a cost- cutting move. If political, it remains to be seen whether the new advisers are technocrats or more ideological.

Ahmadinejad has been criticized for appointing deputies, ministers and advisers because of their ideological leanings rather than their technical qualifications.

The dismissals come nearly three weeks after the president sacked foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Mottaki was replaced by the chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali-Akbar Salehi. He is a technocrat who is more familiar with the dispute over the country's nuclear programs and considered more diplomatic than his predecessor.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360459,senior-advisors-summary.html.

No nuclear concessions in Istanbul, says Iran's Ahmadinejad

Tue, 28 Dec 2010

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that, just like in Geneva, his country will provide no concessions in next month's nuclear negotiations in Istanbul, the ISNA news agency reported.

"We are willing to cooperate with the world powers in Istanbul, but all of them should acknowledge Iran's right to pursue nuclear technology and know that we will not retreat on inch from these rights," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the city Karaj, west of the capital Tehran.

After the talks between the six world powers and Iran in Geneva earlier this month, the two sides agreed to continue the talks in Istanbul at the end of January.

"And if (the powers) come again with sanction threats, they should know that all the sanctions already issued and all the hundreds more to be issued will not in the least affect Iran's will, and just speed up our progress," Ahmadinejad said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that Iran would discuss "ways to explore more cooperation" with the six world powers on global and economic issues, but not discuss the nuclear dispute.

The six world powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - primarily demand that Iran suspend its controversial uranium enrichment, in line with five United Nations Security Council resolutions, four of them with sanctions, designed to make sure the Islamic state is not pursuing a secret military program.

While denying the existence of military nuclear programs, Tehran has referenced its right as a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory and International Atomic Energy Agency member, saying, like any other country, it has the right to have civil nuclear projects, including uranium enrichment.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/359961,concessions-istanbul-irans-ahmadinejad.html.

Turkey's PM meets Ahmedinejad in Istanbul

The meeting also comes a month before planned nuclear talks with six major powers in Istanbul.

Thursday, 23 December 2010

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad at his office in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The meeting also comes a month before planned nuclear talks with six major powers in Istanbul.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was also in attendance at the closed-door meeting.

Ahmedinejad is currently in Istanbul to attend the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on Thursday.

Heads of state and government of the ECO member countries, representatives of international bodies as well as officials from guest countries are set to participate in the meeting which will discuss several agreements and regional cooperation projects.

ECO was co-founded by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan in 1985 in a bid to develop economic, technical and cultural cooperation between member countries. In 1992, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan joined the organization.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=67713.

Ahmadinejad deputy accused of embezzlement

Mon, 20 Dec 2010

Tehran - The top deputy of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been accused of embezzlement, the country's attorney general said Monday.

"There are (embezzlement) charges against the first deputy (Mohammad Reza Rahimi) and we are following the case. ..," Gholam- Hossein Mohseni-Ejehi was quoted by ISNA news agency as saying.

"He will face trial, but the charges against him are not yet proven and we have to wait for the first deputy's defense plea," the attorney general added.

The financial corruption charges against Rahimi were raised by a website and supported by two lawmakers who claim to have documents proving their charges.

The 61-year-old Rahimi, the most important among Ahmadinejad's 12 deputies, has reportedly been involved in a series of financial scandals, but has denied all claims of wrongdoing.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/359038,ahmadinejad-deputy-accused-embezzlement.html.

Majlis hails Ahmadinejad reform plans

Sun Dec 19, 2010

Nearly 180 lawmakers have welcomed implementation Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reform plans which he has promised will boost the economy and eradicate poverty.

In a joint statement released on Sunday, 175 lawmakers touted the implementation of the “targeted” reforms, which include slashing government subsidiaries in place since the 1979 Revolution and raising energy prices.

“Our dear nation is well aware that the previous unjust allocation of government subsidiaries was one of the main problems of our country's economy and the source of corruption as well as many other anomalies,” Fars News Agency quoted the Sunday statement.

The statement, recited by a member of the Iranian Parliament's (Majlis) Presiding Board, Jasem Saedi, also urged political activists, lawmakers and the media to “continue their support for the plans.”

“The implementation of this law in the face of efforts by the enemies of the Revolution to paint a troubled picture of the country's finances through economic sanctions is a sign of economic stability and great management skills as well as the unity between the government and the nation,” it added.

In a televised national speech on Saturday night, President Ahmadinejad announced that the plans would be implemented on Sunday.

He said the plans were guaranteed to lead to a better economy, since people would start saving on energy consumption, making it possible to export the extra reserves and pump the money back into the economy.

The Iranian chief executive also reasoned that higher prices would encourage people to use less fuel and cause less damage to the environment -- especially in pollution-hit Tehran.

Under the new rationing system, the price of gasoline will rise by fourfold from IRR1,000 (10 cents) per liter to IRR4,000 (40 cents) per liter as of Sunday.

Fuel beyond a person's quota -- which is 50 liters per month -- is now sold at IRR7,000 (70 cents) per liter.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/156199.html.

Ahmadinejad: Brazil, Iran to host future nuclear talks - Summary

Sat, 18 Dec 2010

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that after the Turkish city of Istanbul, Brazil and Iran would next serve as venues for nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers.

"The nuclear talks in Geneva were fruitful. I hope the same positive course will be continued in Istanbul, and after that in Brazil and Tehran," he said in a live interview with the state television network IRIB.

Ahmadinejad was referring to negotiations with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States over Iran's nuclear program.

Iran says its uranium-enrichment program is purely meant for energy generation, but the West fears it is designed to build a nuclear bomb. The United Nations Security Council has hit Iran with several rounds of sanctions over the issue.

Ahmadinejad has repeatedly insisted that other countries besides the six world powers - namely Turkey and Brazil - should not only be involved in the talks, but also serve as meeting hosts.

Driving Ahmadinejad's argument is the fact that Turkey and Brazil have not only supported Iran's right to pursue peaceful nuclear projects, but also were the only two countries that voted against the latest Security Council resolution on Iranian sanctions.

The two nations were also involved in a deal inked in May in Tehran on a uranium swap that would see Iran store at least 1.2 tons of its low-enriched uranium in Turkey, to later exchange it with nuclear fuel for its medical reactor in Tehran.

Ahmadinejad, as well as Ankara and Brasilia, believe that the swap deal could be one of the only options to settle the five-year dispute over Iran's controversial uranium enrichment.

The six world powers agreed in Geneva last week to hold the next round of talks in Istanbul, but said that Turkish officials could not attend the talks - just as Swiss officials did not attend the Geneva meeting either.

Ahmadinejad said the return to the negotiation table in Geneva showed that the world powers had "failed" despite several rounds of sanctions meant to "deprive Iran from its nuclear rights."

"The world powers must once and for all acknowledge Iran's nuclear rights, and it is now time to turn the path of confrontation into cooperation," he said.

"Right from the beginning, we have stressed that we want to follow the path of cooperation and discuss global political and economic challenges and even discuss nuclear cooperation," he added.

Ahmadinejad and his new foreign minister, Ali-Akbar Salehi, have shown willingness to improve ties with the world powers and seek a way out of the nuclear dispute, but categorically reject making any concessions over the country's nuclear rights.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/358817,nuclear-talks-summary.html.

President Ahmadinejad invites Jordan's king Abdullah to visit Iran

Sun, 12 Dec 2010

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday received a rare message from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inviting him to visit Iran, according to a royal court statement.

The message, which was delivered to the monarch by head of Ahmadinejad's office Rahim Mashaei, expressed the Iranian leader's "keenness on developing ties between Iran and Jordan in various spheres," the statement said.

Abdullah underlined the need to meet with Ahmadinejad in the near future - either in Amman or Tehran - to discuss "ways for bolstering bilateral ties on clear bases in such a manner that serves the interests of the two peoples, Islamic issues as well as security and stability in the region," the royal court said.

The discussions during the meeting tackled "a number of regional and international issues and means of addressing them in a form that reflects positively on interests of the Islamic nation," the statement said without giving details.

Relations between Jordan and Iran appeared to have cooled in recent years after King Abdullah warned against the formation of a "Shiite crescent" involving Iran, Iraq, Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

However, Abdullah repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and warned against the dangerous repercussions of military action.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357826,king-abdullah-visit-iran.html.

Ahmadinejad: Swap deal could be only nuclear issue in Istanbul

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Tehran - A uranium swap could be the only nuclear-related issue that Iran would raise in the next round of multilateral talks, Iranian media quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying Thursday.

"We have red lines which are non-negotiable in our talks with world powers, and this includes suspension of uranium enrichment," Ahmadinejad said.

"But we are ready to cooperate with the powers on the swap of enriched uranium and would welcome their cooperation with us in building further nuclear plants," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with students in central Iran.

In an agreement signed in May with Turkey and Brazil, Iran agreed to store at least 1.2 tons of its low-enriched uranium in Turkey and later exchange it for nuclear fuel to be used in research reactor in Tehran.

The deal was met with skepticism by the international community because it did not address the issue of Iran freezing uranium enrichment as demanded by the UN Security Council.

Iran this week held renewed talks with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in Geneva. The meeting failed once again to produce any tangible results, but the participants agreed to continue the talks in late January in Istanbul.

Iran wants Turkey, which with Brazil was the only county to oppose the latest Security Council sanctions against Iran, to be included in the talks, but the other participants were expected to reject the proposal.

Ahmadinejad maintained the swap could make Iran stop enriching uranium to 20 per cent because exchanging and purchasing fuel would be more economical.

The other Geneva negotiators were reportedly not opposed to reviving the swap deal but insisted the UN resolutions demanding a halt to enrichment must be accepted and implemented by Tehran.

Ahmadinejad said future cooperation with the world powers depended on the other side's acknowledgment of Iran's nuclear rights and the lifting of UN sanctions.

Tehran insists that it nuclear projects are solely for civilian purposes and rejects Western concerns that it might be using them to produce nuclear weapons.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357341,be-nuclear-issue-istanbul.html.

'Muslim unity will increase prosperity'

Tue Dec 7, 2010

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says independent and Muslim countries will achieve prosperity and security through increased collaboration and mutual support.

The Iranian president made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Djiboutian Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita in Tehran on Monday, IRNA reported.

“The two countries have common cultures, sets of beliefs, and goals that lay the foundation for increased bilateral and international cooperation,” President Ahmadinejad added.

He also expressed hope that the talks between Iranian officials and the Djiboutian delegation would help efforts to expand ties between the two countries.

The prime minister of Djibouti praised the relations between the two allies and said the latest discussions have been fruitful.

Dileita also called for serious efforts to expand the two countries' bilateral relations.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/154278.html.

Ahmadinejad urges Lebanese government, Hezbollah to unite - Summary

Mon, 29 Nov 2010

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged the Lebanese government to unite with the militant anti-Israeli group Hezbollah for the common good, the state television network IRIB reported on its website Monday.

"If the Lebanese government and the resistance (Hezbollah) were in one front, then the country could pursue the path of dignity and development and there would be nothing the Zionist regime (Israel) and its allies could do anymore," Ahmadinejad was quoted as having told Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Sunday.

He said all countries should support national unity in Lebanon to ensure security.

Tehran supports the militant Shiite Hezbollah, which leads the opposition in Lebanon. Hariri's government is backed by the West, which regards Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

Divisions have widened after reports that the United Nations- backed tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of Hariri's father, former premier Rafik Hariri, is ready to indict Hezbollah members.

Other Iranian officials also made it clear to Hariri that Tehran would not drop its support for Hezbollah or the group's campaign against Israel.

"The theory of peace in the region has failed and resistance is the only way to confront [Israel]," Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said.

"Resistance and unity are the two main factors for realizing progress in Lebanon and whatever would harm the Lebanese resistance would target the interests of the Lebanese people," Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeid Jalili told Hariri.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki meanwhile said the "Iran- Lebanon connection would create the optimal cooperation potential."

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that Tehran was ready to cover Lebanon's defense needs and also that of Hezbollah.

Hariri on Monday also met with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who also reiterated Iran's support for Hezbollah.

"As long as the criminal Zionist regime (Israel) exists, Lebanon will need the resistance (Hezbollah)," said Khamenei who has the final say on all state affairs in Iran.

"The resistance is the only force the enemies cannot confront and (the government of) Lebanon should therefore appreciate the resistance and further strengthen relations (with Hezbollah)," the ayatollah added.

The Iranian leader further said that Tehran would not hesitate to help Lebanon in any possible way to move towards progress and development.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355674,hezbollah-unite-summary.html.

Ahmadinejad to meet Medvedev in Baku

Wed Nov 17, 2010

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to hold talks with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the Caspian Sea summit.

Dmitry Medvedev will meet on Thursday with Ahmadinejad to discuss Iran's nuclear program, Russia's top presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said on Wednesday.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program, and used their influence in the UN Security Council (UNSC) to impose fourth round of sanctions against the country over its nuclear program in June.

Russia, Iran's longtime trade partner, had traditionally opposed the adoption of the UNSC resolution against Tehran, but joined world powers in approving the sanctions against the country.

Tehran rejects Western accusations of pursuing a military nuclear program, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty the country has the right to peaceful nuclear energy.

Ahmadinejad and Medvedev will meet on the sidelines of a summit of Caspian Sea littoral nations in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Prikhodko as saying.

The Iranian chief executive arrived in the Azeri capital of Baku on Wednesday to attend the third meeting of the leaders of Caspian littoral states in order to negotiate the legal regime of the sea and to discuss relations with Azeri officials.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.

The maritime and seabed boundaries of the Caspian Sea have yet to be demarcated among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan -- the five countries bordering the sea.

Despite extensive negotiations, the legal status of the Caspian Sea has been unclear since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Caspian Sea legal regime is based on two agreements signed between Iran and the Soviet Union in 1921 and 1940.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan -- the three new littoral states, established after the collapse of Soviet Russia -- do not recognize the prior treaties, triggering a debate on the future status of the sea.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://presstv.ir/detail/151402.html.