Palestine, Islamic world's most important issue: Vice President

Paris, Nov 1, IRNA – Palestine is most important concern of Islamic world, Vice President and Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organizaiton, Rohollah Ahmadzadeh-Kermani said here Monday. He made the remarks on the sidelines of UNESCO’s 36th session of the General Conference at Paris Headquarters of the UNESCO. “The Islamic Republic expects the Muslim countries to stand against the continuation of the occupation of Palestinian territories,” the official continued. Ahmadzadeh-Kermani underlined that Islamic Republic of Iran supports the Palestinians' rights. The Iranian vice president also requested the UNESCO to pay due attention to the expansion of peace and stressed the necessity to support the oppressed people of Palestine. “Iran believes that one vote for each Palestinian is the only resolution to the Palestinian issue,” he stated. The official alos referred to outside interference in Syria as unconstructive. He underscored the united front of Muslim countries to support Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia’s membership in the UNESCO Executive Committee. Kermani admired Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Kamaludin Ehsan Oghlu's stand on Palestine and Syria issues. Oghlu, for his part pointed to Iran’s important role in the region and thanked the Muslim countries’ support for the Palestinian bid for full UNESCO membership. “Syrian developments should be solved through national talks between government and opposition groups without foreign interference,” he noted. “We are opposed to any type of military intervention in Syria,” the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) added. The Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini, too, has attended the UNESCO’s 36th session of the General Conference. Presided over by Hungary’s Ambassador to the UNESCO Katalin Bogyay, the General Assembly Conference is running from October 25 to November 10./end