Kuwaiti speaker to participate in Tehran Intifada conference

Iran welcomed participation of the Speaker of Kuwait\'s National Assembly (parliament) Jassem Al-Kharafi in the 5th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada, to be held in Tehran on October 1-2.Speaking to KUNA during a pre-conference press statement, Secretary-General of the Conference Hossein Sheikholeslam said, \"We welcome Speaker Al-Kharafi and his entourage with open arms; they are our dear guests.\"The Kuwaiti people and government have always been firm supporter of the Palestinians\' just cause. We thank Mr. Al-Kharafi and all parliament speakers who stated desire to take part in this international gathering,\" he said. So far, speakers of 16 parliaments and eight deputy speakers have accepted the invitation to attend the conference, to be chaired by the Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Sheikholeslam pointed out. \"The conference aims to mobilize support of the Muslim nation and freedom-loving nations for the Palestinian people in their quest for regaining their legitimate rights,\" he noted. He added that the gathering will press for the return of the illegally-annexed East Jerusalem and the return of all Palestinian refugees displaced by the Zionist authorities inside and outside the occupied territories. Asked about Iran\'s stance on the Palestinian bid for UN membership, Sheikholeslam recalled the remarks of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the international day of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) of last year that the Palestinian statehood is just a first step. \"Iran will definitely vote for Palestine\'s full UN membership though the UN recognition (of the State of Palestine) is not our ultimate goal; it\'s just a step towards the liberation of all occupied Palestinian territories,\" he added. Besides parliament speakers and deputy speakers, representatives of NGOs and leaders of various Palestinian organizations as well as sympathizers with the Palestinians from various parts of the world are to attend the gathering, sponsored by the Iranian parliament.