Iran Rejects Western Media Reports on Russian Envoy's Visit to Tehran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran denied media reports claiming that the upcoming visit to Tehran by Russia's Envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin will be aimed at a discussion of Iran and NATO's missile programs, and said the trip takes place within the framework of the periodical visits paid by the two countries' officials.
"The visit by Mr. Rogozin, Russia's representative at the NATO Headquarters, will take place within the framework of the bilateral relations and with respect to the level of the two countries' strategic and regional cooperation and at the request of the Russian side," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast stated on Monday evening.

"Discussing and exchanging views on regional and international developments are on the agenda of the meetings between the Russian and Iranian officials and the visit is not aimed at a particular issue," he added, denying a report by the Russian news agency, RIA Novosti, about the goal of Rogozin's visit to Tehran.

RIA Novosti quoted the Russian ambassador to the NATO as saying on Friday that he plans to travel to Iran later this month to discuss its ballistic missile program and the US-led missile shield in Europe.

Rogozin claimed that Tehran wanted more information about the missile talks and NATO's plan to deploy its missile shield in Turkey.

"We, in turn, are interested in getting clarification from the Iranian side over its plans to develop missiles which are often referred to with alarm by our US and European partners," Rogozin said.

"I hope this mission to Tehran will be a fruitful one," he added according to RIA Novosti.