Khatami begins tour of three regional countries

IRNA, Iran
Sept 8 2004

Tehran, Sept 8, IRNA — President Mohammad Khatami left here Wednesday
for Yerevan, the Republic of Armenia, in the first leg of his regional
tour which will also take him to Belarus and Tajikistan. Heading a
high-ranking delegation, Khatami`s one-week visit is taking place at
the official invitations of his counterparts

Robert Kocharian, Aleksandr Lukashenko and Emomali Rakhmonov of
Armenia, Belarus and Tajikistan, respectively.

During his visit to Armenia, which is in response to the 2001 visit
to Tehran of President Robert Kocharian, Khatami and senior Armenian
officials will discuss the latest regional developments as well as
expansion of Tehran-Yerevan cooperation in all areas, energy and
transportation in particular.

While in Belarus, the two sides are to review implementation of
Tehran-Minsk bilateral agreements and major regional and international
issues.

A number of new agreements in the fields of customs, economy and
agriculture will be signed between Iran and Belarus. Khatami will
also deliver a speech at the Academy of Sciences of Belarus. In his
second visit to Tajikistan, Khatami and Tajik officials will discuss
ways of consolidating trade, economic and cultural relations between
the two countries.

On the last day of his visit, Khatami is to take part in the summit
meeting of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization
(ECO).

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf,
Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Safdar Hosseini and

Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari are accompanying President
Khatami in his regional tour.