Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks at the opening ceremony of the ninth meeting of foreign ministers from Iraq and its neighboring states in Tehran Saturday, July 8, 2006. He urged that Islamic countries should mobilize to "remove" the problem of the existence of Zionist regime.(Xinhua Photo)

TEHRAN, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged here Saturday that Islamic countries should mobilize to "remove" the problem of the existence of Zionist regime.

    Ahmadinejad made the call in a speech at the opening ceremony of the ninth meeting of foreign ministers from Iraq and its neighboring states.

    "The Islamic world has a basic problem. It is the existence of the Zionist regime. I think the whole region should mobilize to remove the problem," Ahmadinejad told the meeting.

    "The biggest threat to the region is the fabricated regime, and today there's a strong will to remove it and realize a legal regime in Palestine, the survival of this fake regime could only suffer this region," he added.

    The president also criticized Israel's supporters in succession, saying "I am reminding them to stop the (Israeli) government's crimes, or it would be too late."

    Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad said Iraq needs the support and assistance of its neighboring states to get rid of terrorists and pave the way for the evacuation of foreign troops.

    "The Iraqi government must be supported for security and stability in the complicated circumstances," he said.

    Ahmadinejad noted that the pervasion of terrorists provide a pretense for the existence of U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. "Terrorists' object is nothing other than preparing the ground for a long-term stay of foreign troops," he added.

    The two-day meeting gathered foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Bahrain and representatives from the United Nations, Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference.

    Ashraf Qazi, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special representative for Iraq, also attend the meeting.

    The meeting denounced Israel for its "increasing aggression against the Palestinian people" and criticized the "silence" of the international community over it.

    "The Arab foreign ministers attending today's meeting expressed their strong condemnation of this continuing and increasing aggression against the Palestinian people," Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said in a statement.

    They also "felt sorriness over the silence of international community, and held United Nations Security Council members responsible for the violations of international laws", said thestatement.

    It added that the ministers are also determined "to continue consultations among themselves and other foreign ministers of Arab nations to take necessary steps over the aggressive Israeli policies".

    Nearly 40 Palestinians including civilians and one Israeli soldier have been killed since Israel launched the Gaza offensive on June 28.

    The ongoing Gaza operation, aimed to free an abducted soldier and halt Palestinian militant rocket firing, is the first major Israeli military move in Gaza since Israel quit the coastal strip last summer after 38 years of military rule. Enditem