Iranian FM meets counterparts in NY

TEHRAN, Sept. 21 (MNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki held separate talks with his counterparts from the Central African Republic, Bolivia, the UAE, and Cuba on the sidelines of the Millennium Development Goals summit in New York.

In a meeting with Central African Republic's Foreign Minister Antoine Gambi, Mottaki called for expansion of cooperation between Tehran and Bangui and welcomed a plan by the country to open embassy in Tehran.

The Central African Republic's foreign minister also underscored Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca also called for boosting economic cooperation with Iran especially in industrial projects such as tractor and cement plants.

The UAE Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, congratulated Iran on the inauguration of the Bushehr nuclear reactor, the first of its kind in the Middle East.

He said the UAE also intends to start constructing its first power plant late this year.

Mottaki insisted that all countries, which have singed the NPT, have right to nuclear power as a clean source of energy.

He added that all Iran’s nuclear activities are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He went on to say that Iran will be able to produce almost all its electricity needs from nuclear energy in the near future.

Talking to Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Mottaki called for expansion of economic cooperation between Tehran and Havana.

The counterparts also negotiated about ways of increasing interactions through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).