Mashayee's Trip to Albania Aimed to Deliver Ahmadinejad's Invitation - spokesman

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast announced that the recent visit by President's Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashayee to Albania was aimed at delivering Ahmadinejad's invitation message to his counterpart to attend the Norouz Celebrations in Iran, Tabnak reported.
   
Ramin Mehman-Parast made the comment in his weekly press conference in response to a reporter who had asked about the objectives of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashayee's recent visit of Albania, and whether the foreign ministry's traditional role is still being pursued by non-diplomats, according to Farsnews.

He added that Mashayee was carrying the esteemed president's invitation for his Albanian counterpart to attend the Iranian News Year, Nourouz, international celebration.

The same reporter asked whether the move was, or was not parallel work with the Foreign Ministry's responsibilities.

"Towards the (Iranian) year end we will have the International Nourouz Celebrations and early next year we will have another international gathering with a number of heads of states' participation. There are a large number of invitations and naturally the president dispatches some envoys to deliver them, which is not interference in Foreign Ministry responsibilities,' Mehman-Parast replied.