Lawmaker Dismisses Reports on Recognition of Israel by Former Minister
News number: 880617156316:37 | 2009-09-08
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8806171563

TEHRAN (FNA)- Former Iranian Minister of Science, Research and Technology
Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi left the SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental
Science and Applications in the Middle East) meeting in Jordan in protest at
the presence of an Israeli minister at the same gathering, an MP said.

The legislator, Alireza Zakani who opposed participation of the Iranian
minister in a meeting also attended by Israeli officials, told reporters
that he had called Zahedi to hear his explanations.

The Jordanian side had promised not to place the seat of the Iranian
minister next to the Israeli minister, but when Zahedi attended the meeting,
he found out that they had disregarded their vow and place his seat right
next to the Zionist official, Zakani said, quoting the information he had
received from the former minister through the phone call.

"The measure had made the Iranian minister leave the meeting in protest,"
Zakani added.

To conclude his remarks, the MP said he believes that the move had been
taken within a scenario to damage the Islamic Republic's reputation (for its
anti-Zionist stances).