US: Ahmadinejad plans NY trip

The US State Department says Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has applied to visit the US to attend a nuclear non-proliferation conference in New York.

US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley confirmed that the applications for Ahmadinejad and his delegation had been submitted in Bern, Switzerland, and he indicated they were likely to be approved.

“We have certain responsibilities as the host of the UN,” The Washington Post quoted Crowley as saying on Wednesday.

“Any foreign official who is coming to the UN for official business is normally granted a visa,” he added.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference will be held at the UN headquarters from May 3 to 28.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will lead the US delegation.

According to the current schedule for the opening day of the conference, Clinton will be the fifth speaker on Monday afternoon and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will be the seventh.