UN to invite Iran’s President Rohani to Disarmament Conference

UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Kubish says the United Nations will soon invite Iran’s President Hassan Rohani to take part in the UN Disarmament Conference.

Kubish said in a Monday meeting with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad-Mehdi Akhondzadeh in Tehran that the invitation by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be extended to President Rohani in the near future.

The UN official described the presence of the Iranian president in the conference as “suitable.”

The three-part 2013 session of the UN Disarmament Conference began on January 21, 2013. Iran chaired four weeks of the second part of the UN forum from May 27 to June 23. The third and final part of the conference began on July 29 and is scheduled to continue until September 13.

On July 30, a spokesman for the Iranian UN mission announced Tehran’s bid to apply for the position of the rapporteur of the UN General Assembly’s First Committee for its 68th session. The 193-member UN committee also deals with all disarmament and international security issues, cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments.

Kubish, who is also the UN special envoy for Afghanistan, praised Iran’s initiative to hold a trilateral meeting with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and said the UN was ready to support the move.

The third tripartite meeting between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan was held in February 2012 in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The two previous trilateral meetings were held in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Kabul is due to host the fourth summit of the three neighboring countries.

Akhondzadeh also stated that Iran was ready to continue supporting reconstruction projects in Afghanistan in line with Tehran’s sustainable and strategic policy regarding the war-torn country.

Kubish traveled to Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Rohani, which was held in Majlis on August 4.