Mottaki, Prodi review world developments

Tehran, Oct 15, IRNA - Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and ex-Italian prime minister Romano Prodi on Tuesday evening reviewed the latest regional and international developments.

Prodi is currently in Tehran to attend the two-day International
conference on 'Religion in the Modern World' kicked off on Monday.

Expressing his satisfaction with the current visit to Tehran of
several world dignitaries, Mottaki said consultation between the world
experienced diplomats and scholars with Iranian officials have always
played constructive role in promotion of regional peace and stability.

Condemning recent negotiations of the US and Britain with the Taliban,
he said the big powers are trying to promote extremism throughout the
globe.

He referred to presence of foreign forces as the root cause of
regional problems.

Prodi said for his part that Tehran-Rome friendly consultations have
always been useful and constructive.

On policies of the occupying states in Afghanistan, he said such an
approach has no justification for the public opinion.

Former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio, former UN secretary-
general Kofi Annan, former Norwegian prime minister Bondevick, former
French prime minister Lionel Jospin, ex-Swiss president Joseph Deiss,
former Irish president Mary Robinson, former Sri Lankan president
Chandrika Kumaratunga, ex-Sudanese prime minister Sadeq al-Mahdi and
former UNESCO director general Federico Mayor were other dignitaries
attending the conference.

The conference addressed the issue of how religious and political
leaders can cooperate to promote peace by protecting human rights,
moral and religious values, diversity and peaceful coexistence in
pluralistic, modern societies.


End