Iran has not received request for opening US interest section

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said on Monday that Tehran has not yet received any formal request from Washington for opening the US interest section.

Addressing foreign and domestic reporters during his weekly press briefing, he said the matter had been raised by several US dailies.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had announced the White House decision to open interest section in Tehran and said that the United States will forward a request to that effect.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz said last week that US President George W. Bush has communicated with Iran to normalize relations.

On Iran-Kuwait talks, Qashqavi said the two countries enjoy continuous discussions on various issues of mutual interest.

As to Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki's current visit to Malaysia, he added that Mottaki has arrived in Kuala Lumpur on the first leg of his four-nation Southeast Asian tour which will take him to South and North Koreas and Myanmar.

On the upcoming visit to Algeria of First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi, he said Tehran-Algiers ties are amicable and profound.

Davoudi's visit is in line with further expansion of bilateral relations with Algeria, he added./end