Iranian FM Meets UAE President

Iran’s visiting Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki Wednesday met with the President of the United Arab Emirates Khalifa bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan and discussed bilateral ties and regional cooperation. A statement released by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Bureau said that also during the meeting, Mottaki pointed to his talks with UAE foreign minister, and praised that country’s support for the development of all-out ties between the two states, specially in economic grounds.

Noting the developments in Iraq, he pointed to the abundant efforts made to restore stability and tranquility in that country, and said, “But terrorist measures and continued occupation as two factors underlying the insecurities in Iraq have prevent the said efforts from yielding any fruit.”

Mottaki further underlined that Iran’s participation in the Iraq security conference in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh is aimed at assisting Iraq with the establishment of security and tranquility.

He expressed the hope that the Egypt meeting could set all-out support for the Iraqi government and nation on its agenda.

For his part, the UAE president voiced his country’s support for any kind of proposal which could open new horizons to the two countries’ relations and place their ties in a new stage.

Regarding Iraq, he called on all relevant parties to strive to help restore security in Iraq, and hoped that participants would adopt effective decisions in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.

Khalifa bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan further pointed to the religious conflicts, and said, “We have never witnessed strife between the Shiite and Sunnite (Muslims) in the Islamic countries, and these discords have been sown by those who oppose unity among Muslim states.”

He also referred to the existing problems in Lebanon, and said, “We should all endeavor to resolve Lebanon’s problem, because continuation of the problems in that country serves the interests of Israel.”

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