By IANS
Tehran : As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left for New York Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, Tehran Sunday alleged that the US had denied visa to some of its diplomatic personnel, saying America was making itself an unsuitable host for international fora.
According to the Presidential Office Media Bureau, Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the UN general assembly Tuesday and hold talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as well as leaders of some member countries on the sidelines of the UN conference.
The Iranian leader, who is heading a high-level delegation, will meet a number of Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders of the US, besides the Iranian nationals staying in that country, during his stay there, the official IRNA news agency reported. He is also scheduled to deliver a speech at Columbia University.
DPA adds: The US has refused to issue entry visas for a number of Iranian officials and journalists, including Iran’s ambassador to Switzerland, Ali-Reza Moayeri, and also has rejected Ahmadinejad’s request to visit the site of the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“All President Ahmadinejad wanted to do was pay his respects and tribute at the site to the victims. We do not understand what harm it would have caused to the American administration,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said at his weekly press briefing.
The Fars news agency reported Saturday that Ahmadinejad is now planning to meet the families of the 9/11 victims. The spokesman could not confirm the Fars report.
Hosseini, however, confirmed earlier reports that Ahmadinejad Monday planned to give a speech at the University of Columbia and answer questions by students and lecturers.
“But some US circles are also planning to sabotage this plan as well,” the spokesman said.
The Iranian president’s visit to the world body comes at a time of building tension over Tehran’s nuclear energy programme that some western countries, mainly the US, allege is a clandestine plan of making nuclear weapons.
Last week, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had said that the world should be prepared for a war against Iran, if the Islamic Republic did not end its controversial nuclear programme.
Kouchner later made amends to his statement and called Tehran to clarify that he was speaking of avoiding war, and not waging it, against Iran. He also expressed his intention to visit Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders who in response said they saw no obstacle.