IRANIAN PRESIDENT TROUBLED BY SITUATION ON PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES








MOSCOW, March 13, 2001. /From RIA Novosti correspondent Anna Bobina/. Addressing students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said he was troubled by the current situation on the Palestinian territories.


	Many countries of the West have so far failed to react to the fact that around 1 million Palestinians were driven out of their homes, said Khatami. In his opinion, the key task of the state is to protect the freedom, independence and development of each of its citizens.


	Touching on the correlation between freedom and justice, the Iranian president noted it was still a challenge "to our intellect" and one of the most burning issues for Russia, Iran, Asia, America, and Europe.


	Khatami, an initiator of the concept of the "dialogue between cultures and civilizations", stressed the importance of this dialogue and its key role in modern-day civilization.