Iran lawmakers heads to Geneva for IPU meeting
The Iranian lawmakers are to meet with high-ranking political figures during the international conference. Over 120 parliamentary delegations are to take part in the four-day autumn meeting.
The conference is to focus on prevention of violations at the time of election, guarantee of peaceful power transition, management of natural sources, agricultural produce and population changes as well as transparency in providing political parties’ expenses.
The Iranian parliament members are to discuss necessity of improvement of the UN structure as well. The Geneva-based IPU is a non-government organization established 110 years ago. It includes 155 member states and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been one of its active member states.
Syrian president arrives in Tehran
IRNA– Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Tehran Saturday morning to review issues of mutual interest with senior Iranian officials Upon arrival, the Syrian president was warmly welcomed by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Nikzad and ambassadors of several Arab states to Tehran.
Expansion of all-out ties, particularly the economic cooperation, and exchange of views on the latest regional and international developments are the main objectives of the current visit to Tehran of the Syrian delegation.
President Assad’s visit is taking place in response to the February visit to Syria of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This is the eighth visit to Tehran of President Assad and his fifth during the Ahmadinejad’s presidency
Iran calls in Swiss ambassador to protest U.S. sanctions
CNN -- The Iranian government summoned the Swiss envoy to Tehran Thursday to lodge a protest against the U.S. government’s recent imposition of sanctions against eight senior Iranian officials, according to two Iranian state-run news outlets.
The envoy, who represents U.S. interests in Iran, said she will notify Washington about the complaint, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced new sanctions Wednesday against Iranian government officials, members of the Revolutionary Guards Corps and others accused by the United States of being responsible for human rights abuses.
The sanctions block the assets of, and prohibit U.S. citizens from engaging in any business with, those on the list, which includes the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s prosecutor general, and the country’s ministers of welfare and intelligence.
"On these officials’ watch or under their command Iranian citizens have been arbitrarily, beaten, tortured, raped, blackmailed and killed," Clinton said.
"Yet the Iranian government has ignored repeated calls from the international community to end these abuses, to hold to account those responsible, and respect the rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens."
An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told the Swiss envoy the United States has no right under international law to impose the sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting news agency said.
On Thursday, Washington imposed economic sanctions on Swiss-based Naftiran Intertrade Company for engaging in energy trade with Iran, according to Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.
The action was intended to discourage international dealings with Iran, Steinberg said.
Four oil companies -- Total, Statoil, Italy ENI, and Royal Dutch Shell -- have agreed to cut back on Iranian trade, and will receive no further U.S. sanctions, he said.