President leaves for Iran tonight

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will take wing to Tehran late tonight, for a high-level four-day state visit during which he will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, defying what diplomatic sources say were heavy ‘representations’ from the US to defer the visit.

The relatively miniature Presidential delegation, which will include Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona, leaves the Ugandan Capital of Kampala at midnight tonight, where Rajapaksa was attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Four media personnel are also scheduled to leave for Tehran with President Rajapaksa’s delegation.

The US Government recently imposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran after it refused to suspend its controversial nuclear programme and is reported to have brought heavy pressure on Colombo about cancelling the visit. However, the US denies the claim, while authoritative diplomatic sources told The Nation that the Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Ministry had managed to allay US fears ahead of the President’s visit.

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http://www.nation.lk/2007/11/25/news17.htm