Iranian president to visit Qatar

Iranian President Muhammad Khatami has received an invitation from Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani to take part in the summit meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference due to be held in the second half of this year in Doha.

The invitation was extended to President Khatami on Tuesday in Tehran during his meeting with Qatar's minister of state, Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah al-Thani.

During the meeting, the Iranian president described relations between Iran and Qatar as good. He added that common issues between the two countries, including "Islam, culture and common interests," help "further rapprochement between the two countries." He stressed the importance of fostering bilateral relations in all fields.

The Iranian president stressed Iran's readiness to convey its experience to Qatar, which will assume the presidency of the OIC.

For his part, the Qatari minister described relations between Iran and Qatar as friendly. He stated that the improvement of relations between Iran and the neighboring states serve the interests of all countries of the region and the Islamic world.