Lebanese FM : Even Enemies Cannot Ignore Iran's Major Regional, Int'l Role

Beirut, Aug 27, IRNA – Foreign Minister of Lebanon Adnan Mansour said Monday even enemies of the Islamic Iran could not ignore the country's key role and influence in the regional and international developments. Speaking to IRNA exclusively, Mansour said even those who imposed various sanctions on Iran admitted the country's major role in the region and that was why they were seeking to cooperate with Tehran to find a way out of the Syrian crisis. Touching upon Iran's powerful status at the international level, the Lebanese minister said Tehran could play a positive and influential role in settling the ongoing crisis in Syria. Referring to the ongoing meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states in the Iranian capital, Mansour stressed that West's anti-Iran sanctions have not isolated the country but instead led to further promotion of Tehran's bilateral relations with other countries. The experts meeting of NAM's 16th Summit started in Tehran on August 26. The two-day meeting would be followed by a meeting of the movement's foreign ministers on August 28-29 while the summit is slated for August 30-31. The experts meeting is attended by 110 delegations from NAM member states. Iran is to receive the NAM rotating presidency from Egypt. Mansour said that running the NAM for the next three years by Iran would prove the country's active role worldwide. The Lebanese minister said that he would be in the Iranian capital heading a ranking delegation to take part in NAM's ministerial meeting which is to begin on Tuesday./end