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Iran unhappy over Rushdie visa issue

Iran has expressed disappointment over India's decision to grant a visa to India-born British author Salman Rushdie, describing it as a divisive measure.

India should concentrate more on creating understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. Anything that divided them should not be encouraged, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Kamal Kharrazi said.

He was addressing a joint media conference in New Delhi with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh at the end of the two-day 10th meeting of the Indo-Iran Joint Commission.

Kharrazi and Singh said they had discussions on a wide range of subjects, including issues of mutual concern. Official sources, meanwhile, said the Iranian side did not raise the Rushdie issue during the talks.

On Afghanistan, the two sides called for an end to outside interference so that peace could return to the trouble-torn nation at the earliest.

UNI

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