TEHRAN Visiting Secretary General of UN's Millennium Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders Bawa Jain here Sunday stressed the significance of Iran's contribution to promoting peace and security in the global arena, and called Iran the torchbearer of peace in the world.

According to IRNA Jain who was meeting the Deputy Director of Iran's Islamic Culture and Communications Organization Saeid Nomani called on the world's religious, political, economic, and social leaders to be united in fostering world's peace.

He regretted that the true concept of Islam still remains unknown to the West, and proposed that Iran suggest a practical approach to introduce Islam to the West better.

Nomani voiced Iran's interest in supporting the establishment of global peace, and said the warm welcome that President Mohammad Khatami's proposition for a dialogue among civilizations received worldwide manifested the need for peace and stability.

He stressed the need in today's world for spirituality, and warned that 'without spirituality the values of all mankind's success will be threatened'.

Several international officials attended the three-day International Seminar on the Environment, Religion and Culture that wound up its work here June 20 after issuing a declaration on environmental issues.

The declaration stated the conference's reaffirmed commitment to the objectives of the international Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations, including inter-religion dialogue on environment.