Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel (r) talks with OmanÕs Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi in Tehran on Tuesday.

Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel on Tuesday underscored the need for further expansion of parliamentary relations between Iran and Oman.
In a meeting with the visiting Oman’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi in Tehran, he expressed Iran’s satisfaction with the current level of political, economic, cultural and security cooperation with Muscat, IRNA reported.
The regular exchange of visits is an indication of the two sides will and determination to further expand ties, the senior lawmaker was quoted as saying.
He described Tehran-Muscat relations as “a good example for all regional states.“
Criticizing the US foreign policy, particularly toward the regional states, he voiced Tehran’s ability and willingness to foster constructive relations with the comity of nations, in particular the neighbors. The speaker commended the Sultanate of Oman and its leaders for their stance on regional developments.
Referring to disastrous situation unfolding in Iraq, he reiterated that the Bush White House has got into the ugly habit of blaming others for its misjudgments, lies and failures, in particular the Islamic Republic.

Stabilizing Power
For his part, the Omani minister termed Tehran-Muscat relations as “very good and satisfying“.
The two sides share identical views regarding many regional and international developments, he said. Alawi praised Iran’s key role in helping establish regional stability and in resolving Iraqi problems.
The Omani official noted that Iran is a big and powerful country in the region which plays a crucial and constructive role in helping restore peace and tranquility to war-torn Iraq.
He denounced the five-year occupation of Iraq by the US forces, and noted that Washington’s demonization of Islamic Republic would not affect his government’s approach toward Tehran.
In related news, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili in a meeting with Alawi said cordial ties with the Persian Gulf neighbors is a declared foreign policy goal of the government. He urged the neighboring Arab states to do their fair share in preventing foreigners from creating tension in the already troubled region.

Foreign Militaries
Jalili emphasized that the presence of foreign militaries in the oil-rich region is the root cause of crisis visiting acing the littoral states.
Referring to huge economic, political, trade and security potential of the Persian Gulf states, he said meaningful expansion of “cooperation among neighbors would benefit the region as a whole.“
Alawi for his part called for further expansion of relations between the two friendly nations.
Praising Iran’s key role in promoting security and stability in the region, he acknowledged that Tehran plays a key role in resolving tensions in this part of the world.
Iran and Oman have traditionally enjoyed normal relations both before and after the 1979 revolution. The two sides exchange visits at regular intervals to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. Alawi was a regular guest of the Tehran government throughout the 1980-88 war imposed by Iraq’s ousted dictator Saddam Hussein and backed by the US-led western powers.

Hossein Samsani

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s economy and interior ministers are stepping down, in the ninth changes to his cabinet since he came to power in the summer of 2005, officials announced on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Mostafa Pour Mohammadi will step down after the second round of parliamentary elections on Friday and will be replaced by the head of Iran’s audit office Mohammad Reza Rahimi, the head of Supreme Audit Court, a top interior ministry official said.
After the second round of the parliamentary elections on April 25, Rahimi will be announced as caretaker of the ministry,“ Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Hossein Moussapour was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Meanwhile, Economy and Finance Minister Davoud Danesh Jaafari was set to hand over his portfolio Tuesday to his successor Hossein Samsani who earlier was head of the government economic commission, IRNA reported.
The government spokesman had announced on April 9 that the economy and interior ministers would be replaced.
Including the latest reshuffle, seven ministers have either resigned or were fired since Ahmadinejad took office.
Head of the influential Management and Planning Organization and a central bank chief -- both have seats in the cabinet -- have also been removed. Another minister died while in office.
When rumors initially surfaced about major changes in the Cabinet, government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham dismissed them as “April Fool joke“. A few days later he acknowledged that a reshuffle was imminent.After being criticized in the media for the blunder, Elham offered his resignation to the president. It is not clear whether Ahmadinejad will or will not accept his resignation.
Last week Pour Mohammadi too had dismissed the prospect that he would step down.
“I have not heard of any such thing and it is unlikely that this will happen,“ he was quoted as saying.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem will visit Tehran in the near future, an informed Iranian source said in Damascus.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source did not mention a specific date but said that the trip may take place in the next 10 days, Fars News Agency reported without elaboration.
The trip will be Muallem’s first visit since November when he visited Tehran as part of ongoing consultations between Tehran-Damascus.

Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi

Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said on Tuesday that Iran’s cultural diversity is a source of national strength.
Speaking at a conference ’Relations Between Cultures in Multicultural Communities’ in Tehran, he added that various cultures and ethnic groups have existed and progressed for centuries in Iran and helped underpin unity among Iranians.
According to Iran Daily’s Sadeq Dehghan, Pour-Mohammadi rejected claims that Iran’s ethnic diversity could undermine national solidarity.
Saying that today’s world should be managed with culture-based policies, he expressed regret that to world is dominated by those who have power and wealth.
The outgoing minister noted that Iranians for long have viewed the world through a “cultural glasses“ and the Iranian has always upheld human values and principles.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Saeed Abadi, secretary of the UNESCO national commission in Iran said countries should not go in for modernism or tradition without in depth evaluation.
Embracing tradition alone will result in stagnation and belief only in modernism will produce cultural isolation, he noted.
According to Saeed Abadi respect for the cultural values of others can and will help augment friendship and cultural affinity.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro Moros said that the people of Iran and Venezuela oppose unilateralism.
Tehran and Caracas are working to promote a multilateral world by strengthening of cooperation, Maduro Moros said at the opening ceremony of the 5th Iran-Venezuela Economic Commission Meeting in Caracas Tuesday, Press TV reported.
Iran and Venezuela are aware of global developments and make a point of relying on their own potentialities, he stated, adding that moves by the Iranian nation to achieve independence and self-sufficiency are the key to its success in various scientific, industrial and political fields.
Cooperation with Iran would prepare the ground for the development and progress of Venezuela, the minister noted and said that despite sanctions, the unrelenting fight against the global arrogance and superpowers for 30 years and the eight-year imposed war (1980-88), the Muslim Iranian people succeeded in safeguarding their independence as well as making significant scientific and technical progress.
He used the opportunity to extend warm greetings of the Venezuelan nation and government, particularly from President Hugo Chavez to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Culture Minister Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi said on Tuesday that Iran has given priority to enhancing cultural ties with Russia.
He made the remarks in a joint press conference with the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography, Mikhail Shvydkoi, IRNA reported.
The Iranian minister is currently in Russia to attend Iran’s first Cultural Week which opened in Moscow late on Monday.Referring to the two countries’ determination to expand bilateral cooperation, Saffar Harandi hoped to witness closer relations between the two nations.
Iran and Russia share many identical cultural characteristics, he said saying that this would help further expand cooperation between the two countries in all fields.
Voicing Iran’s readiness for exchange of university students, he said there are a large group of Iranian students studying in Russia. Saffar-Harandi arrived in Moscow Sunday at the head of a delegation to attend the inauguration of Iran’s Cultural Week. The ceremony was attended by a number of Russian cultural figures as well as a group of Iranian nationals residing in Russia and a number of foreign diplomats.

Japan announced Tuesday that it has frozen the assets of Iranians alleged to be involved in the country’s nuclear program, in line with UN sanctions. A foreign ministry statement said Japan has frozen the assets of 12 entities and 13 individuals accused of links to “Iran’s sensitive nuclear activities.“
Japan has already blacklisted another 23 Iranian organizations and 27 individuals over the country’s nuclear drive, AFP reported.
The latest individuals and entities whose assets have been frozen were named under a UN Security Council resolution passed last month that tightened sanctions against Tehran for refusing to halt nuclear fuel work.
The blacklisted entities include the Abzar Boresh Kaveh Co., which is involved in the production of centrifuge components, and Joza Industrial Co., a front company involved in ballistic missiles, the statement said.
Japan, which is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil, maintains trade ties and cordial diplomatic relations with Iran, in a rare break with Tokyo’s main ally, the United States.
In 2006, Tokyo pulled out of a project to develop Iran’s largest onshore oilfield at Azadegan in line with US policy over Iran.
The latest Japanese move came as a senior official of the UN nuclear watchdog visited Tehran to discuss over Iran’s nuclear drive. Iran insists that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and aimed solely at generating energy.

Iran dismissed a report alleging that British dealers have been supplying arms, missile technology and nuclear components to Tehran.
According to a report carried by The Guardian, UK customs officials claimed that despite a third round of sanctions recently imposed by the UN Security Council on Iran, at least seven Britons have been involved in supplying arms to the Iranian Air Force and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
An informed Iranian source, however, rejected the allegations as part of Britain’s politically motivated smear campaign against the Islamic Republic, IRNA quoted.
The source said orchestrating such misinformation campaigns shows the UK wants to fuel the arms race in the region for its own prfit.
He also took pride in Iran’s military self-sufficiency and denied claims that the defense industry was dependent on British weapons or military hardware from any foreign sources.
The superpower’s attempts to obstruct Iran’s military advancement have actually contributed to the development of the talents of Iranian scientists, leading to constant enhancement of its military might, the source said.

Iran and Japan are keen to consolidate cooperation on reconstruction and development of infrastructural projects in Afghanistan.
In a meeting between the Iranian Ambassador to Kabul Fada-Hossein Maleki and his Japanese counterpart, Hideo Sato, the two sides emphasized cooperation on Afghan reconstruction and economic stimulation, contribution to the country’s development and assistance in improving its infrastructure, IRNA reported.
Efforts to create employment and prepare grounds for the voluntary return of Afghan refugees to help reconstruct their homeland were among issues discussed in the meeting.
The two diplomats termed the improvement of Afghan education system and staff for its universities with Afghan graduates from Iranian institutions of higher education a positive and significant step.
They underlined the importance of a conference in Paris in June to help create employment for Afghan graduates and finding effective ways to encourage Afghan refugees to return to help in the socio-economic development of the war-torn Muslim country.