Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi (l) shakes hands with Tunisian Tourism Minister Tijani Al-Haddad in Tehran on Monday. (IRNA Photo)

TEHRAN, April 12--Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi conferred on Monday with the visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexiev about bilateral, regional and international affairs.
Referring to the two countries’ common stands on Central Asian and Caucasian regions’ developments, Kharrazi said, “Identification of new potentials and intensification of high-level consultations can secure the national interests of the two nations and boost regional peace and stability.“
He asked for more serious efforts and broader bilateral consultations for finalizing the legal status of the Caspian Sea among the littoral states.
Kharrazi considered regional and international cooperation among Iran, Russia, China and India in restructuring the United Nations effective for strengthening the foundations of peace and stability in the region and the world.
The deputy Russian foreign minister, for his part, referred to the role played by Iran in promoting peace and stability in Central Asia and the Caucasian region and asked for broader consultations to secure the two countries’ shared interests.
Alexiev evaluated the current status of Tehran-Moscow ties as ’satisfactory’ and asked for broader bilateral cooperation at all levels and in all possible fields.
Also on Monday, Kharrazi met with visiting Tunisian Tourism Minister Tijani Al-Haddad and conferred with him on strengthening bilateral ties, as well as other issues of mutual interest.
Kharrazi considered the two countries’ cooperation in the field of tourism beneficial to both countries.
“Tehran and Tunis need to take advantage of one another’s valuable experience in the tourism industry,“ he said.
The Tunisian tourism minister evaluated his talks with the Iran officials during his current visit as ’positive’ and said the visit is another step forward in strengthening economic and tourism ties with Iran, with which Tunisia shares historical relations.
Haddad expressed hope that by implementing the articles of Tourism Cooperation Pact, which Tunisia signed with Iran, the ground would be prepared for broader bilateral tourism cooperation.

Ali Akbar Velayati

TEHRAN, April 12--Presidential nominee, Ali Akbar Velayati, on Tuesday expressed support for a proposal put forth by Parliament Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel to break the deadlock in the rightist faction over agreeing to a consensus presidential candidate, IRNA reported.
In a meeting with heads of his electoral headquarters in 30 provinces, Velayati said the offer by Haddad-Adel that a scientific and impartial public opinion poll be held to identify the final candidate could help find a way out of the current stalemate. “And I will respect the result.“
“By fabricating public opinion and deciding behind closed doors, neither group can win over the people’s hearts and mind,“ he said.
The Coordinating Council of Islamic Revolution’s Forces has authorized a committee to choose between former head of state TV and radio Ali Larijani, Tehran Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, State Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaie and MP Ahmad Tavakkoli as the sole rightist candidate for the July 17 election.
In protest to the council’s decision-making procedures and a long delay in announcing the final candidate, Velayati announced last December that he will run independently.
Former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Police and presidential aspirant, Mohammad Baqer Qaliban, also criticized the ’undemocratic’ decision-making at the council.

TEHRAN, April 12--An official said on Tuesday the judiciary will soon announce its verdict on the death of seven spectators in Azadi Stadium during the Iran-Japan World Cup qualifying football match.
Speaking to reporters, the deputy head of Iran’s Physical Education Organization for legal affairs, Mohammad Derakhshan, said the probe has been launched by various organizations in charge and the final verdict will soon be issued by the judiciary, IRNA reported.
Turning to the safety measures taken by the police in recent years, particularly in sports stadium, and the commitment of Physical Education Organization, the official believed the recent incident should not raise any question about their performance.
He referred to renovation of Azadi Sports Stadium and said, “A few years ago, the stadium was not even suitable for domestic games, but after its renovation, it is now in a position to hold international competitions.“
Expressing regret over the incident, Derakhshan said the verdict is expected soon and any organization that failed to accomplish its tasks in this connection should be punished.
Seven people were trampled to death and 30 others were wounded in a stampede when tens of thousands of soccer fans were leaving Tehran’s Azadi stadium after the Iran-Japan football game ended on March 26.
The match ended 2-1 in favor of Iran’s National Football Team.

TEHRAN, April 12--Deputy head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday urged the international community to fight the atrocities of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and the holy sites of Muslims and Christians, IRNA reported.
In a meeting with Japan’s Ambassador to Tehran Hideaki Domichi, Mottaki said the United States intends to impose its views on regional nations.
Referring to the strategic position of both Iran and Japan, he stressed the importance of expanding bilateral relations in all fields.
“Iran enjoys the potentials to fight crises and regional problems,“ he said.
Commenting on reforms expected in the United Nations, he said, “Structural reforms of this international body should be comprehensive in order to meet the interests of all countries, including developing and Muslim states, as well as member-states of the Non-Aligned Movement.“
He called on all countries to play a crucial and decisive role to this end.
Mottaki, who is also chairman of Iran-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group, expressed satisfaction over close relations between the two countries’ parliaments and voiced his country’s support for consolidated and growing mutual ties.
Hideaki, for his part, highlighted Iran’s important position in the region and expressed Tokyo’s willingness to expand all-out ties with Tehran. He also called for Iran’s support for its membership in the United Nations Security Council.

WASHINGTON,
April 12--The United States on Monday rejected Iranian complaints and legal threats over US plans to provide $3 million to promote democracy and human rights in the Islamic Republic.
“Supporting democracy and human rights around the world is something the United States does everywhere,“ State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said. “It’s not an attempt to decide somebody else’s internal affairs,“ IRNA reported.
A government spokesman in Tehran said earlier Monday that Iran was ready to take unspecified legal action against Washington for alleged interference in its domestic affairs.
Iran’s UN Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday described the US plan to promote democracy in his country as “a clear violation of the Algiers accords“ that ended a hostage crisis at the American Embassy in Tehran in 1981.
Boucher confirmed that $3 million had been appropriated to finance educational institutions, humanitarian groups and others seeking to support democracy and human rights in Iran.
“None of the activities...are inconsistent with our commitments to the Algiers accords,“ the spokesman told reporters.
“It’s a simple fact, as far as we’re concerned.“
The United States, which has branded Iran a member of the “axis of evil“ and railed against its alleged support for terrorism and its suspected nuclear arms ambitions, has focused more recently in Tehran’s human rights record.
US President George W. Bush pledged in January to stand with pro-democracy forces in Iran.

TEHRAN, April 12--Iran’s drug-related costs reached 100 trillion rials in 2004-5, secretary-general of the Drug Control Headquarters said.
Addressing a meeting of the committee on identifying assets of drug traffickers on Tuesday, Ali Hashemi also said these costs include drug consumption, fighting drug trafficking and costs inflicted by smugglers on the society and drug addicts, IRNA reported.
“In addition to the material costs of drug trafficking, drug addiction also deteriorates people’s mental conditions, increasing the concerns of 88 percent of Iranians over drug consumption,“ he said.
Hashemi noted that a strong national will is required for fighting drug traffickers.
“Important decisions are taken for preventing money-laundering and identifying the properties of drug traffickers,“ he added.
Also on Tuesday, over 610 kilograms of drugs have been nabbed in South Khorasan province over the past 24 hours, a provincial police official announced.
“The confiscated narcotics comprised opium and morphine,“ Mansour Sabbagh said.
He added that 15 drug traffickers and distributors were arrested in this connection.
Iran, despite its unceasing anti-drug efforts, has remained a key route for southwest Asian drugs on their way to lucrative markets in Europe and Persian Gulf countries.
Domestic drug consumption continues to be a persistent problem with at least two million drugs addicts in the country.
Some 1.2 million people are addicted to drugs in Iran while about 800,000 people are casual users.

TEHRAN, April 12--Vice President and Head of Department of Environment (DOE) Massoumeh Ebtekar said on Tuesday the recent Majlis ratification of a convention on preservation of the Caspian Sea environment is one of the greatest achievements of the legislature.
Environment ministers of the Caspian Sea littoral states, namely Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, had signed the convention’s draft in Tehran in 2003 after eight years of discussions and in coordination with the international organizations, IRNA reported.
The draft should then be approved by the parliaments of the five Caspian states.
The Iranian Parliament overwhelmingly ratified the document last Sunday.
Based on the convention, Ebtekar told a group of reporters that the signatories should help protect the Caspian Sea environment by fulfilling their responsibilities and preparing the grounds for implementing regular and collective cooperation to this end.
The Caspian states should also adopt measures to prevent, reduce and control the sea’s pollution both individually or through multilateral cooperation.
Referring to the firm resolve of the four other littoral states for a quick ratification of the document, Ebtekar expressed hope that it would be approved by their parliaments in the near future.