President Ahmadinejad departs for Syria

Tehran, Sept 18, IRNA – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, heading a high-ranking delegation, departed Tehran for Damascus on the first step of his three-leg tour on Saturday morning.

After discussing issues of mutual interest with his Syrian counterpart President Bashar al-Assad, Ahmadinejad will depart for Algiers to visit President Abdulaziz Bouteflika.

Finally, President Ahmadinejad will fly to New York to attend the UN General Assembly annual meeting to expound on Iran’s stances on world and regional important issues.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, Housing and Urban Planning Minister Ali Neekzad, Vice-President in legal Affairs Fatemeh Bodaghi, Vice-President and head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Hamid Baqaei, Senior Advisor to the president Mojtaba Samare Hashemi, Advisor and Head of Presidential Office Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Press Advisor and Managing Director of Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Aliakbar Javanfekr and Head of IRIB Ezzatollah Zarghami are among senior officials who are accompanying the president.

Ahmadinejad is scheduled to deliver speeches at the UN General Assembly meeting, illennium meeting, and Proximity among Religions and Peace Dialog.

He will also meet with Iranians residing in the USA, officials from other countries who attend the UN General Assembly meeting and will attend a video conference with professors and students of a US university./end