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Annan Meets Iranian Officials in Tehran
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&ctl=13C516A:A6F02AD83191E1609AC350B9394AF8369574F7DCC14957C0 Talks focus on
Iran's nuclear program, Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire



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Kofi Annan and Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, at the
start of their meeting in Tehran, Sept. 2, 2006.United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan has met Iranian officials in Tehran to
discuss the country's nuclear program and the Israeli-Hezbollah
ceasefire.

Mr. Annan held talks Saturday with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
and later planned to meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The U.N. chief said he looks forward to discussing ways to implement a
U.N. resolution that ended the conflict between Israeli forces and
Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. That measure also aims to block arms
supplies to Hezbollah, which receives support from Iran and Syria.

On Friday, Mr. Annan met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who he said
promised to increase patrols along the Lebanese border to prevent the
flow of arms to Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, the French newspaper Le Monde quotes Mr. Annan as saying he
favors negotiations - not sanctions - to resolve the dispute about
Iran's nuclear program.

Earlier this week, Iran rejected a U.N. Security Council deadline to
suspend sensitive nuclear work. European Union officials are
discussing that development in Finland and are urging more
negotiations before possibly imposing sanctions on Iran.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.


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