(12 May 1996) English/Nat
Iran's foreign minister Ali Akhbar Velayati has denied that Tehran faces isolation because of American sanctions.
In an APTV interview, Velayati said the sanctions wouldn't work.
And Velayati's deputy, Mahmoud Waezi - also speaking to APTV - denied that Tehran is funding Hezbollah guerrilla attacks in South Lebanon.
They were speaking in the Iranian city of Mashhad where a number of foreign leaders have arrived for the inauguration of an international rail link along the route of the ancient Silk Road.
Emam Riza, in the northeastern city of Mashhad, has been the holiest of shrines for Muslims in Iran for centuries.
From Monday, it will be part of what the government is calling a vital link in the revival of the Silk Road - the ancient trading link between the West and East, from Italy to China.
Iran, whose oil-based economy is in shambles due to years of upheaval since the 1979 Islamic revolution and the recent fall in oil prices, is hoping for a windfall from the railway.
It believes the new link across international borders will help forge new alliances - much needed at a time the US is trying to isolate Tehran both politically and economically.
Even so, Foreign Minister Ali Akhbar Velayati told APTV that Iran would not be intimidated by US plans to impose sanctions against Tehran.
SOUNDBITE:
"We think that these sanctions which are going to be imposed on us by the United States doesn't work because we have very good relations with many countries including the CIS, European countries, Asian countries, China, Japan, southeast Asia, the Arab countries, and the geo-political situation of Iran is very specific and very important so this country can not be isolated because we have common borders with 15 countries - both sea and land, and because of the geo-political importance of this country, this country cannot be isolated under sanctions".
SUPER CAPTION: Ali Akhbar Velayati - Iranian Foreign Minister
Many officials of the countries bordering the railway will be attending Monday's inauguration of the 100-mile (165-kilometer) rail line linking Mashhad and the border town of Sarakhs.
Among those present is the President of Turkmenistan, Safar Morad Niazos, whose country will be directly connected on the railway.
The link will connect Iran's rail system, which runs from the southern ports of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khomeini, with Tejen in neighbouring Turkmenistan.
From there, the rail system that links the former Soviet Union connects Iran's network to all five of the land-locked Central Asian republics and as far east as China.
Iran's President Rafsanjani is making great political mileage out of the project.
He's eager to point out that it has been finished 18 months ahead of schedule and without any help from other countries.
Although many regional leaders will be present at the inauguration, Middle East relations will not focus on the agenda.
But they are on the mind of the international media invited to Iran for the rail event.
Iran has categorically denied it is funding or training the military wing of Hezbollah, which is trying to drive Israeli forces out of southern Lebanon by force.
APTV also spoke with the Iranian deputy minister and asked him about the upcoming Israeli elections.
He said Tehran had no preference when it came to the outcome of the vote.
SOUNDBITE:
For us it doesn't make any difference both of them are the same, I do believe that both parties are working against us, so if they are our enemy it doesn't make any difference.
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