LOC15:30
12:30 GMT
TEHRAN, Sept 18 (KUNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on
Sunday said his country rejects the separation of Palestine and calls for a
free referendum for the Palestinian people to determine their own fate.
"The issue of recognizing Palestine as an independent state could be on the
schedule of the next UN General Assembly meeting, but Palestine cannot be left
to split into two parts as many believe," Salehi told reporters on the fringes
of an international Islamic conference being held in Tehran.
He said, "our official position is that Palestine is the property of all
Palestinians and we will not, under any circumstances, agree to its division."
"We will never recognize the Zionist Entity and this is our solemn position
ever since the success of the Islamic Revolution."
The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, intends to
head to the UN to gain international recognition of Palestinian statehood
according to 1967 borders, which include the West Bank, East Jerusalem and
Gaza. (end)
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KUNA 181530 Sep 11NNNN