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Rouhani to Attend UN General Assembly

President Hassan Rouhani
President Hassan Rouhani

President Hassan Rouhani is to visit New York later this month to take part in the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri announced on Sunday.

Rouhani is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UNGA's annual gathering of world leaders, known as the General Debate, which will be held from September 20-26 themed "Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform Our World", IRIB News Agency reported.

It follows the opening of the 71th UN General Assembly on September 13.

Jahangiri said the president will also visit Venezuela soon.

"Iran should hand over the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement to Venezuela and Rouhani will attend the next summit to do so," he said.

Iran assumed the rotating presidency of the organization in 2012. The next NAM summit will be held on Venezuela's Margarita Island from September 13 to 18.

Established in 1961, NAM is a group of states not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. As of 2012, the movement has 120 members and 17 observer countries.

IRNA reported on Monday that the president will depart from Tehran for Caracas on Friday.

After Venezuela, Rouhani will also visit Cuba before his two-day trip to the US.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will fly to the Venezuelan capital on Tuesday.

Two of his deputies, Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, will accompany him during the trip.

Zarif will later go to New York to attend the UN General Assembly and meet some of his counterparts.

The fifth meeting of the Joint Commission on the implementation of the July 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

 

Financialtribune.com