When we come to national interests, all of us stand united against hegemonic actions, Iranian parliament speaker said, reminding the US and its allies not to count on partial differences existing between the minority and majority fractions at the Iranian parliament.

Iran’s Shahram Nazeri is receiving the French Chevalier des Arts et Lettres medal for his achievements in traditional Persian music.

Non-oil trade between Iran and Thailand grew to $410 million in the first half of this year, up 75 per cent over the comparable 2006 figure of $234.60m, the Iranian ambassador to Thailand said on Saturday.

The Bush administration wants India to help get Iran to curtail its nuclear progress, while many in India are resisting what they see as the US meddling in Indian foreign affairs.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini here on Saturday voiced Tehran’s opposition to the US Senate approval for creating three federal regions in Iraq, and described the measure as a blatant intervention in Iraq’s domestic affairs.

Iran’s first Vice-President Parviz Davoudi noted Iran’s efforts to develop relations with Kyrgyzstan, and expressed the hope that the two countries’ friendly ties would further expand in all the different areas in future.

Confronting internal threats is the main mission of the IRGC today, commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said here on Saturday, adding that his troops will, of course, rush to help the army in case of military threats to Iran by foreign counties.

Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi called on Iran to make investments in his country’s industrial and agricultural sectors and transfer the know-how for the manufacture of agricultural machineries and pesticides.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister Akwasi Asei-Adjei in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on the sidelines of the 62nd UN General Assembly meeting in New York voiced his country’s preparedness to develop relations with the Islamic Republic.

 Iceland’s Foreign Minister Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir voiced her country’s support for the current cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).