Iran to participate in conference on Iraq

TEHRAN: Iran for the first time gave unequivocal confirmation on Wednesday it will take part in a conference on Iraq's security which will also be attended by archfoe the United States.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran would send a deputy foreign minister to Saturday's Baghdad conference bringing together world powers and Iraq's neighbours on ending the daily bloodshed in the country.

"The Iranian delegation will be headed by the deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs (Abbas Araghchi)," Mottaki told reporters.

He said Iran would take part 'with the aim of helping the Iraqi government and people.'

"We hope that the results of the Baghdad conference will be a clear message that the countries in the region stand by the Iraqi government in combatting instability," Mottaki added.

"Considering this attitude, we hope that the result will be that an end to the presence of foreign forces in Iraq is nearing."

Iran, which has forged strong relations with the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad after the toppling of its enemy Saddam Hussein, has repeatedly said the immediate withdrawal of US troops is the best way to stabilise Iraq.

It appears unlikely however that the conference will be the scene for bilateral talks and a thawing of relations between Iran and the United States.

The Iranian foreign ministry has said no direct talks were planned while the US ambassador in Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said that no decision had yet been taken on US-Iran talks at the meeting.

Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since Washington severed ties in 1980 in the wake of the seizure of its embassy in Tehran by Islamist students.

Any direct contacts between the two sides would mark a major break in the frozen relations, which have been marked by mutual recriminations and enmity over almost three decades.

Washington has repeatedly accused Tehran of fomenting the violence in Iraq and arming Shiite extremists who have carried out deadly attacks on Iraqis and US troops. Iran vehemently denies the charges.