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Summary Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he hoped Iran and Argentina could expand their ties.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday said he hoped Iran and Argentina could expand their ties soured for more than a decade by a 1994 attack on a Jewish association in Buenos Aires.We have a tremendous amount of respect for the people and nation of Argentina, Ahmadinejad told a press conference in New York.We would like to expand our relations, he added, blaming the meddling of others for creating misunderstanding between the two nations.We see ourselves along the side of the people of Argentina... and much of the same aspirations of the Iranians and the nation and people of Argentina are common aspirations and hopes and dreams.Speaking through a translator, Ahmadinejad said Tehran had proposed that a group be established in order to analyze and hold discussions in order to reach the truth.Fortunately the Argentinians have welcomed this proposal. I am hopeful that the dialogues of the two foreign ministers can lay the proper foundation and agenda in order to realize this goal.President Cristina Kirchner announced Tuesday she had instructed her foreign minister to hold the talks with his Iranian counterpart at some time in the future at the United Nations.It would be the first such meeting between the two countries over the attack, which killed 85 people.Argentina has charged that Iran masterminded the bombing at a building housing Jewish charities and NGOs in Buenos Aires.Kirchner said that, as Iran has said it wants to cooperate with Argentinas probe, she expects results from the discussions.We expect proposals on how to move forward on this deep conflict that goes back to 1994, Kirchner told the General Assembly.
