Iran to attend regional meeting in Baghdad

Tehran, Mar 7: Iran will attend Saturday's meeting of Iraq's neighbours in Baghdad where US officials will also be present, Iran's foreign minister said today.

Iran is embroiled in a row with the United States over its nuclear ambitions, which Washington views as a covert programme to produce atomic bombs. Washington also accuses Tehran of backing militants in Iraq. Iran denies both charges.

The meeting in Baghdad starting on Saturday will provide a rare opportunity for Iranian and US officials to sit at the same negotiating table. Washington broke ties with Tehran shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

''An Iranian delegation, in order to help and support the Iraqi nation, will attend the meeting of Iraq's neighbouring countries,'' Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference.

The minister did not name the head of Iran's delegation but Iran's ISNA news agency identified him as Abbas Araghchi, deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs.

Iran previously said it was still reviewing whether to attend.

The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Sunday there were no plans for a face-to-face meeting with Iran but said he was ready to talk to Iranians about weapons used to kill US forces.

Khalilzad will represent the United States at the talks.

Iran dismisses charges that it is stirring up trouble in Iraq, saying US troops are to blame for the violence and, instead, accuses Washington of inciting sectarian conflict. Tehran also insists its nuclear plans are entirely peaceful.

REUTERS

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