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Iran declines invitation to G8 meeting in Italy

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Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Wednesday said he has no plans to take part in a G8 meeting on Afghanistan in Italy this week, the ISNA news agency reported.

MOSCOW, June 24 (RIA Novosti) - Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Wednesday said he has no plans to take part in a G8 meeting on Afghanistan in Italy this week, the ISNA news agency reported.

The G8 meeting at the level of foreign ministers on June 25-27 in Trieste will focus on stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as a number of other international issues.

"I have no plans to travel to Italy," Mottaki told reporters on Wednesday.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said two days ago that he had had no response from Tehran on whether they would be participating in the meeting.

"Three days [from the conference], I have not yet had a response," Frattini told Italian television. "I have to consider that Iran has declined the invitation," he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also not travel to Italy due to a fractured elbow.

Several protesters were killed and hundreds arrested over the weekend following mass demonstrations in Tehran over alleged ballot fraud in the landslide reelection of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on June 12. Official results gave the incumbent 63% of the vote, with reformist challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi getting 34%.

Despite calls by some western powers, Iranian state television reported on Tuesday that the Guardian Council would not annul the results of the presidential vote

President Ahmadinejad and his new Cabinet will be sworn in between July 26 and August 19.

 

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