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| UN chief Ban Ki-moon in Tehran for the Non-Aligned Movement summit | UN chief Ban Ki-moon in Tehran for the Non-Aligned Movement summit |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday on a two-day visit for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement and meeting with senior Iranian officials including the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and its president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. | The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday on a two-day visit for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement and meeting with senior Iranian officials including the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and its president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. |
| Ban's Tehran visit is a blow to western attempts to isolate the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear programme and is made in defiance of Israeli and American calls to boycott the event. | Ban's Tehran visit is a blow to western attempts to isolate the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear programme and is made in defiance of Israeli and American calls to boycott the event. |
| Within hours of arriving in the Iranian capital, Ban met with the parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani and president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and was due to meet Khamenei. He is expected to press Iran over its handling of its controversial nuclear dossier and urge Iranian leaders to comply with their human rights obligations. | Within hours of arriving in the Iranian capital, Ban met with the parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani and president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and was due to meet Khamenei. He is expected to press Iran over its handling of its controversial nuclear dossier and urge Iranian leaders to comply with their human rights obligations. |
| As Tehran is trying to exploit Ban's visit to show a country unaffected by sanctions and isolation, activists have called on the UN chief to meet with the opposition leaders who are under house arrest and highlight the plight of political prisoners who are held in a notorious prison not far from the summit's venue in north of the capital. | As Tehran is trying to exploit Ban's visit to show a country unaffected by sanctions and isolation, activists have called on the UN chief to meet with the opposition leaders who are under house arrest and highlight the plight of political prisoners who are held in a notorious prison not far from the summit's venue in north of the capital. |
| Larijani is reported to have frowned when Ban expressed concerns over Iran's human rights record. "We have discussed how United Nations can work together with Iran to improve the human rights situation in Iran. We have our serious concerns on the human rights abuses and violations in this country," he said, according to the AP. | Larijani is reported to have frowned when Ban expressed concerns over Iran's human rights record. "We have discussed how United Nations can work together with Iran to improve the human rights situation in Iran. We have our serious concerns on the human rights abuses and violations in this country," he said, according to the AP. |
| Several heads of state and government from the movement's 120 nation will attend the summit, including Mohamed Morsi whose visit as the first Egyptian president to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution will be a landmark between their bilateral relations. | Several heads of state and government from the movement's 120 nation will attend the summit, including Mohamed Morsi whose visit as the first Egyptian president to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution will be a landmark between their bilateral relations. |
| Other high-profile figures include Manmohan Singh, the prime minister of India, a country that has not abide by the western economic sanctions on Tehran and has continued its bilateral trade despite pressure. In Tehran, Singh is accompanied by a group of Indian businessmen trying to secure trade opportunities with their Iranian counterparts. | Other high-profile figures include Manmohan Singh, the prime minister of India, a country that has not abide by the western economic sanctions on Tehran and has continued its bilateral trade despite pressure. In Tehran, Singh is accompanied by a group of Indian businessmen trying to secure trade opportunities with their Iranian counterparts. |
| With Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain attending the summit despite their differences over the regional conflicts, the Syrian crisis is expected to be among the most contagious issues to be discussed. Iran is among the staunch supporters of the Bashar al-Assad's regime while Saudi Arabia and Qatar have publicly supported the rebels. | With Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain attending the summit despite their differences over the regional conflicts, the Syrian crisis is expected to be among the most contagious issues to be discussed. Iran is among the staunch supporters of the Bashar al-Assad's regime while Saudi Arabia and Qatar have publicly supported the rebels. |
| From Syria, the newly-appointed prime minister, Wael Nader al-Halqi, also arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and from Bahrain, the foreign minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa is attending the summit despite recent Tehran-Manama spat over the Bahraini protests. | From Syria, the newly-appointed prime minister, Wael Nader al-Halqi, also arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and from Bahrain, the foreign minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa is attending the summit despite recent Tehran-Manama spat over the Bahraini protests. |
| During the summit, Iran's deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdullahian, said on Wednesday that his country would be proposing a three-month ceasefire plan for the Syrian crisis. | During the summit, Iran's deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdullahian, said on Wednesday that his country would be proposing a three-month ceasefire plan for the Syrian crisis. |
| "Iran's proposal to the meeting of members of the Non-Aligned Movement to solve the Syria issue is to recommend a ceasefire and the implementation of national reconciliation talks in the country," he said, according to the state-run Irna news agency. | "Iran's proposal to the meeting of members of the Non-Aligned Movement to solve the Syria issue is to recommend a ceasefire and the implementation of national reconciliation talks in the country," he said, according to the state-run Irna news agency. |
| Upon arrival in Tehran, Ban was quoted by Iranian media as saying that Iran can play a "crucially important role in the resolution of the regional conflicts", a reference apparently to the conflict in Syria. | Upon arrival in Tehran, Ban was quoted by Iranian media as saying that Iran can play a "crucially important role in the resolution of the regional conflicts", a reference apparently to the conflict in Syria. |
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