Iran FM in flurry of diplomatic activity in Davos

January 27, 2008 - 0:0

TEHRAN - In a flurry of diplomatic activity on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki met his counterparts from Malaysia, Switzerland, Iraq, Sweden, and Indonesia and the Dutch and Malaysian prime ministers on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Bin Ahmad Badawi and Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, Mottaki stated that the Organization of the Islamic Conference must hold an emergency meeting at the foreign ministerial level to discuss the Zionist regime’s ongoing crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Abdullah said that Malaysia’s envoy would surely attend the meeting.
In a separate meeting with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, Mottaki discussed Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and said, “Building trust is a two-way street.”
It is time for the other side to revise its approach toward the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities and to begin building trust, he added.
Calmy-Rey also expressed support for the process of Iran-IAEA cooperation.
Mottaki discussed Middle East developments and Iran’s nuclear issue with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
Balkenende said that Iran has played a constructive role in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In their meeting, Mottaki and his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt talked about the latest developments in the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear activities, and the problems of Iranians residing in Sweden.
The Iranian foreign minister told his Indonesian counterpart Noer Hassan Wirajuda that the UN Security Council’s major task in regard to Iran should be returning the country’s nuclear dossier to the right place, which is the IAEA.
Wirajuda stated that the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany (the 5+1 group) should hold direct unconditional talks with Iran.
President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering said the nuclear dispute can be resolved through supporting the process of Iran-IAEA cooperation and added that Iran has the right to have a peaceful nuclear program.
Iran advises UN ‘restraint’ over nuclear sanctions
Mottaki called Saturday on the UN Security Council to ""exercise restraint"" when reviewing a package of marginally tougher sanctions next week over Tehran's nuclear program.
Mottaki said Iran could ""not understand"" why the new measures were being proposed before the UN's nuclear watchdog makes its report on Tehran's nuclear activities in March.
""We advise them to exercise restraint ... until the final report of the IAEA comes out,"" Mottaki told reporters in Davos.
""The shared objective is the clarification of the ambiguities that have been insinuated by some parties and answering questions raised by the IAEA,"" he added