Ahmadinejad will join UN summit; Sarkozy, Sargsyan's attendance unconfirmed

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian President Ahmadinejad will join the United Nation-sponsored Least Developed Countries Summit.

Turkey will host the fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries on May 9-13 in Istanbul, one of the gatherings to contribute poorer nations improve prosperity and infrastructure. The Iranian leader's trip to Turkey coincides with growing pressure from the United States to halt the activities of the Iranian banks in Turkey.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Shimon Peres will not participate in the gathering as the summit coincides with an Israeli national holiday. Relations between Turkey and Israel began to strain after an Israeli attack to Gaza killing about 1,400 Palestinians in 2009.

Relations between the two countries tensed seriously over an Israeli raid on Gaza bound Turkish aid ship killing eight Turks and one Turkish-American in 2010. Following Israel’s attack, Ankara demanded an apology and compensation before relations could be normalized.

"As we organize this meeting together with the U.N., I sent letters to all heads of state and government of U.N. member countries and invited them to the meeting. I have invited the Israeli president within this scope,” President Abdullah Gul said in April underlining that the invitation had been extended by the U.N., not the Turkish government.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is also invited along with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, whose attendance was unconfirmed, Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review reported.