Iran’s Ahmadinejad to visit Qatar

AFP: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to make a brief visit on Sunday to Qatar, Iran’s closest ally among the Gulf Arab states, the Iranian ambassador in Doha, Abdollah Sohrabi, said.

DOHA (AFP) — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to make a brief visit on Sunday to Qatar, Iran’s closest ally among the Gulf Arab states, the Iranian ambassador in Doha, Abdollah Sohrabi, said.

Ahmadinejad will hold talks with Qatari emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, on issues including the Palestinian question and the devastating floods in Pakistan, Sohrabi told reporters on Thursday.

“The visit will last for a few hours,” he added.

Unlike other Gulf Arab states which have echoed Western suspicions about Iran’s nuclear programme and its ambitions in the region, Qatar has maintained friendly relations.

In May when the United States was pushing for a new round of UN sanctions against Iran, Qatar backed Turkish and Brazilian efforts to broker a deal that would avoid further punitive measures.