Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
speaks upon his arrival at the Khartoum airport, in this February 28, 2007
file photo. Ahmadinejad has canceled his visit to New York to address the
U.N. Security Council because of delays in granting visas to his
entourage, Tehran's U.N. ambassador said on March 23, 2007.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
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TEHRAN,
March 23 (Xinhua) -- The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign ministry said on
Friday night that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would not visit the UN Security
Council to address a Saturday meeting on his country's nuclear program due to
the late visa issuance from the U.S. side, the state television reported.
President Ahmadinejad cannot speak before the UN Security
Council due to the "U.S. obstacle on visa issuance" to him and his
delegation, the ministry's spokesman Mohammed Ali Hosseini was quoted as saying.
Instead of that, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
will go to New York to attend the meeting and "explain Iran's position on the
nuclear issue," he added.
"The Americans have triumphantly prevented President
Ahmadinejad from joining the conference through their failure to issue visas for
him and his accompanying delegation," said Hosseini.
In addition, some Western reports said that Mohammad
Mir Ali Mohammadi, press secretary of Iran's mission at the UN, also reported
that the U.S. government had not granted the needed visas to the U.S. Embassy in
Switzerland in time for the Iranian leader to visit New York.
Ahmadinejad was prepared to go to New York to address
a Security Council meeting on Saturday, in order to prevent another UN nuclear
sanction resolution against his country.
However, the U.S. State Department said Friday that the
White House had already delivered visas for Iranian president and his 38
corteges so he could express his opinions at that meeting when the Security
Council member states begin to vote on the resolution.
WASHINGTON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States has
delivered visas for Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his delegation to
attend the United Nations meetings in New York, the State Department said
Friday.
"The passports with the visas have been delivered," State
Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. He added that they were delivered at
10:00 am (0900 GMT) in Bern, Switzerland.
UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A final decision on a
draft UN Security Council resolution on Iran has been delayed until late Friday
afternoon, diplomats said.
Consultations on the final text of the draft resolution
slamming tougher sanctions on Tehran were adjourned shortly after noon for
council members to report to their capitals for further
instructions.
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