No intention of developing nuclear weapons, says Iran

Dubai: Iran on Monday assured the UAE that it had no intention of developing nuclear weapons, WAM news agency reported.

The message was conveyed to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during his talks in Tehran on Monday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"We want to assure the region's states and peoples that Iran's [nuclear] programme is peaceful and we have no intention of producing nuclear weapons. Iran seeks peaceful coexistence in this region," WAM quoted Ahmadinejad as saying to Shaikh Mohammad.

The UAE Vice-President was in Tehran to further boost bilateral ties. The talks with Iranian officials also focused on ways to enhance peace and stability in the region.

Shaikh Mohammad said Iran was a neighbouring brotherly state, expressing his confidence that the Islamic Republic "harbours no malicious intentions towards Gulf states which in turn respect the historic ties," WAM said.

Syria visit

Shaikh Mohammad is the senior-most UAE official to visit Iran in three decades.

"Iran and the UAE have historical and strong relations and with my trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran bilateral relations will rise to new horizons," he was quoted by news agencies as saying.

Shaikh Mohammad, who later arrived in Damascus, met with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

"My visit to Syria comes within the framework of the continuous consultation between the leaderships of both nations to enhance the brotherly relations and Arab solidarity," Shaikh Mohammad said in a statement upon arrival.

Shaikh Mohammad was received at the airport by Syrian Vice-President Farouq Al Sha'ara and other senior officials.