Publish Date: 11 September 2012 - 20:14

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast called on all Palestinian groups to maintain unity in a bid to defend their rights and solve problems in Palestine, and renewed Tehran's offer to host talks among Palestinian groups and factions.

Answering a question about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's proposal to host talks among Palestinian groups, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "Mr. President sees unity among Palestinian groups as the solution to the Palestinian problem."

"All (Palestinian) groups should stand beside each other and defend their rights. They may face difficult conditions and different countries may impose their will on them if they stand separated," he told reporters in his weekly press conference here in Tehran today.

The Iranian spokesman further stressed that the Palestinian issue is a top priority of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy.

"We consider the issue of Palestine as the main issue of our foreign policy and accordingly we make our utmost efforts to materialize the Palestinian nation's cause," he added.

Earlier this month, Director-General of the Iranian Presidential Office for International Affairs Mohammad Reza Forqani announced that Iran offered to host talks among different Palestinian groups in Tehran to help facilitate their unification process.

Forqani made the remarks, pointing to the recent meeting between Ahmadinejad and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran.

"The president announced Iran's preparedness to host the Palestinian groups' negotiations in a move to unite them," he told FNA today.

"The Palestinian side welcomed the idea and described it as practical," Forqani said.

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