TEHRAN President Mohammad Khatami said here on Saturday that his speech at the UN had been welcomed more by world public opinion and intellectuals than policy makers.
Speaking to reporters on his return from UN Millenneium Summit in New York, President Khatami said that discussion on dialog among civilizations had been highly important'.
Besides dozens of policy makers, intellectuals, scholars, scientists and artists also attended the discussions, added the president.
Khatami said that he had had the opportunity to have multilateral meetings with officials of more than 35 countries.
He said resumption of ties with Algeria was one of the important results of his visit to the UN.
Heads of state and governments from all over the world, participating in the UN Millennium Summit, on Friday concluded their 3-day gathering with the adoption of the idea of "dialog among civilizations" in the final declaration.
By adopting the final declaration, participants of the UN Millennium Summit recognized President Khatami's proposal on "dialog among civilizations" as a global solution to face challenges of the 21st century.
While in New York, President Khatami in a joint statement with his Algerian counterpart Abdulaziz Boutafliqua, announced the resumption of bilateral diplomatic relations saying that the two leaders met in "a very cordial and frank atmosphere".
According to the statement, the two heads of state "reviewed international problems of interest" of their countries and respective regions, "in particular those of the Middle East and the Maghreb." The statement that was issued after their meeting on the sidelines of the UN Millennium Summit, indicates that Khatami and Boutafliqua "exchanged views on the political developments occurring in the Arab world and the Islamic community".
Khatami left New York on Friday, where prior to his departure from New York, met his Finnish counterpart, Tarja Halonen and the Norwegian premier. In both meetings both sides stressed further expansion of bilateral relations.
In another meeting with a number of university students taking courses in film animation in the United States, Khatami was presented a short film which the students had produced on the subject of civilizations. The documentary film entitled "dialog among civilizations and ancient civilizations" was the work of Italian, Chinese, American and Iranian students who met with the president.
Khatami arrived in Tehran on Saturday evening where he was warmly welcomed by Iranian nation, youths in particular. A number of organizations in different statements called the people to warmly welcome Iranian president.
Tehran City Council in a statement called on all citizens in the capital to accord an enthusiastic welcome to President Khatami upon his return from New York.
The statement, said that the scholarly presence of the architect of "dialog among civilizations" in the summit, guaranteed a dual honor for the Iranian nation.
It called on the local inhabitants to receive the president in an enthusiastic welcome at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport on Saturday afternoon as a token of approval for the ideology and initiative of such a great scholar.
The largest welcoming group were the youth offered 2001 stalks of white flowers to the architect of the "dialog among civilizations" as a token of affection, kindness, friendship and love.
The International Center for the Dialog Among Civilizations in another statement Friday announced that the Children of the Earth' will go to the airport to offer Khatami thousands of flowers upon his return form the most important summit of the millennium.
During his six-day stay in New York, President Khatami addressed the conference on "dialog among civilizations" and the UN Millennium Summit and conferred with heads of state and delegations from over 30 world countries.