German Press Lauds UN Chief For Defying US Pressure On Iran Trip

Berlin, Aug 26, IRNA -- The German press on Saturday hailed the decision of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to attend next week's Non-Aligned Movement summit despite intense US and Israeli pressure. The Frankfurt-based daily Frankfurter Rundschau stressed in an editorial Ban remained unfazed by US criticism over his plans to visit Tehran. It said American demands for Ban to cancel his trip to Iran showed the US wanted to have a UN that is only in line with its interests. Meanwhile, the business daily Handelsblatt said the UN secretary general was determined to travel to Iran despite strong US and Israeli objections over the plans. Earlier this week, German foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expressed strong support for Ban's visit to Tehran. Talking in the Latvian capital Riga, Germany's top diplomat voiced 'full confidence in the compelling work' of the UN boss. Westerwelle's remarks defending Ban's trip to Iran comes in the wake of massive US and Israeli lobbying to cancel plans for such a visit. On Wednesday, a UN spokesman in New York said Ban would go ahead with the visit, despite pressure from Washington and Tel Aviv. The UN chief has reportedly made a request to meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the NAM summit./end