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President Khatami: Iran can by no means tolerate attack on Najaf

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Aug 7, IRNA -- President Mohammad Khatami said on Saturday 
that under no circumstances Iran can tolerate any attack on holy 
cities such as Najaf. 
Speaking to reporters at Mehrabad International Airport upon 
his arrival from Azerbaijan, he referred to US military attack on the 
holy city of Najaf in Iraq and said "I do not think that the 
occupiers will be able to solve their problems through aggressive 
means and this will only widen the gap between them and Iraqi 
nation." 
All freedom-seeking Muslims respect Imam Ali (AS), he said 
adding that the assault is considered as violation of the faith and 
beliefs of Shi`ite Muslims around the globe. 
He expressed the hope that security and stability would be 
restored to the war-shattered Iraq as soon as possible. 
Pointing to his recent visit to Republic of Azerbaijan, he said 
signing of ten MoU`s on political, economic, security, cultural and 
commercial affairs were among the achievements of the visit. 
The Number and diversity of signed documents indicated the success
of his visit, he said. 
The two sides have created a peaceful atmosphere to help broaden 
mutual cooperation, he said. 
Expansion of ties between Tehran and Baku would be to the benefit 
of both countries as well as all other countries of the region, he 
said. 
Khatami described his negotiations with his Azeri counterpart as 
very fruitful. 
Khatami, who headed a high-ranking economic and political 
delegation, met with senior Azeri officials and discussed ways to 
bolster cultural, economic and political ties. 
The president delivered speeches at Azerbaijan`s Academy of 
Science and Parliament and hold a meeting with the country`s ulema and
Muslim intellectuals. 
Iran and Azerbaijan signed 10 documents for cooperation in 
various security, economic, transportation and cultural fields. 
Khatami arrived in the historical city of Ganjeh on the last leg 
of his official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan. While in 
Ganjeh, he visited the mausoleum of the 12th-century prominent 
Iranian poet Nezami Ganjavi as well as the Shah Abbas Mosque. 
President Khatami and his entourage arrived in the Azeri capital 
of Baku on Thursday for a three-day visit at the official invitation 
of his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev. 
The Azerbaijan Republic is one of the five littoral states 
of the oil-rich Caspian Sea. To the south, it is bounded by Iran, to 
the west by Armenia, to the northwest by Georgia, and to the north by 
the Russian Republic of Daghestan. 
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