Lukashenka going to Iran?

The Belarusian ruler may go to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran's new president-elect.

Radio Svaboda learnt the news from Belarusian MFA spokesman Andrei Savinykh.

An Iranian new agency reported on July 30 that 13 heads of state and government, five speakers of parliament, six foreign ministers confirmed their presence at the inauguration ceremony for Iran's president Hassan Rouhani. The event is scheduled for August 4.

President of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are expected to attend the ceremony.

Hassan Rouhani won the June 14 presidential election in the first round with over 50% of the vote.

Almost a year ago, Belarusian foreign minister Uladzimir Makei represented official Minsk at the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, where Lukashenka was invited.

Summit participants supported Iran's right to nuclear power. The final declaration of the summit was adopted a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency had accused Iran of blocking access for international inspectors to the nuclear facility in Parchin where Tehran was suspected to produce nuclear warheads.

Western countries think Iran with its oil and gas resources doesn't need nuclear power stations, and the country's nuclear programme is used to produce weapons. Tehran denies the allegations.