TEHRAN EXPECTS ‘GREAT PARTICIPATION’ IN ITS SUMMIT ON NUKES

Tert.am
19:19 ~U 06.04.10

Iran expects "great participation" in a nuclear-disarmament conference
it will host in Tehran from April 17-18, just a few days after a
nuclear-security summit will have taken place in Washington, D.C.,
local Iranian media reported on Monday.

According to local Turkish Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review China,
India, Syria, Venezuela and Turkmenistan have all signaled that they
might attend the meeting in Tehran.

Iran’s conference has been widely welcomed, Iranian Foreign Ministry
spokesman reportedly Ramin Mehmanparast said, adding that the Islamic
republic is expecting "great participation."

"The estimates show that this conference will be warmly welcomed by
countries," the Tehran Times quoted Mehmanparast as saying.

Iran appears to be waging a diplomatic battle to counter the U.S.-led
push for new, tougher sanctions against its controversial nuclear
program as momentum for such measures appears to be building.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, met with Chinese officials
last week and said over the weekend that Beijing would attend the
Tehran conference. However, China said Tuesday that it was still
considering whether to attend the conference or not.

The foreign ministers of Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, Oman and Turkmenistan
have reportedly confirmed their participation. The Indian ambassador
to Tehran is also expected to attend it conference.

Turkey has also received an invitation to the conference from Iran,
but has not yet responded to it.

Iran is under international pressure to abandon its nuclear program,
which it says is devoted solely to producing nuclear energy for
peaceful civilian purposes. Western nations suspect Tehran is working
to build nuclear weapons.