Italian PM meets Iranian President

The Italian Prime Minister, Giuliano Amato, during a controversial visit to Iran, has praised the reformist principles of President Khatami.

Mr Amato said Iran was faced with the choice of reform and development on the one hand, and isolation on the other. He said Italy was ready to further develop its cooperation with Iran. More than three-hundred members of the Italian parliament had urged Mr Amato to abandon his trip because of what they said was Iran's poor human rights record.

The prime minister cut short his visit to just twelve hours because he said he had other commitments at home.

Meanwhile, the British cabinet minister, Mo Mowlam, is also in Iran for five days of talks on the fight against drugs.

She is the highest-level British official to visit the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. During her visit, she will sign an agreement on cooperation and announce new funding for combatting narcotics.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service