Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi on Thursday handed his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), during an inauguration session for the 16th NAM summit which is being held currently in the Iranian capital.
Morsi's speech was the highlight of the session as he lashed out strongly at the Syrian regime, branding it: "An oppressive regime that has lost legitimacy."
"Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty as it is a political and strategic necessity," Morsi said.
"We all have to announce our full solidarity with the struggle of those seeking freedom and justice in Syria, and translate this sympathy into a clear political vision that supports a peaceful transition to a democratic ruling regime that reflects the demands of the Syrian people for freedom."
Morsi's words were believed to have prompted a walkout by the Syrian delegation of the summit led by Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem but it was revealed later that the Syrian Foreign Minister went out for an interview with an Iranian TV channel and came back to the session again.
However al-Moallem did criticise Morsi's comments, accusing the Egyptian President of: "Using his speech to incite further bloodshed in Syria."
Morsi added in his speech: "The revolution in Egypt was the cornerstone of the Arab Spring, which started days after Tunisia and then was followed by Libya, Yemen and now the revolution in Syria against its oppressive regime."
"Both the Palestinian and Syrian people are actively seeking freedom, dignity and human justice. Egypt is ready to work with all the concerned international fronts to stop the bloodshed."
Morsi's description of the conflict in Syria as a "revolution" against oppressive masters jars with the narrative given by Tehran and Damascus that the uprising is separate from the Arab Spring and consists largely of foreign-backed "terrorists" acting on behalf of the United States and regional countries mainly from the Gulf region.
Morsi referred to the NAM's role in pursuing a more peaceful and less discriminatory world: "In which the UN Security Council is freed from the veto hegemony of the five permanent members and the UN General Assembly is made more effective in running world affairs."
Morsi arrived in Tehran for the NAM summit on Thursday morning and returned to Cairo a few hours later day after a five-day trip that started in and spent largely in China's capital Beijing, where he explored avenues for wider economic and trade cooperation.
Earlier in the day, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Guide for the Islamic Republic of Iran, opened the summit by attacking the "overt dictatorship" of the UN Security Council in a speech.
"The UN Security Council has an irrational, unjust and utterly undemocratic structure and this is an overt dictatorship," he said.
The Iranian leader noted what he described as: "The world powers' misuse of the nuclear weapons," and called for denuclearisation, underlining that nuclear weapons: "Can't guarantee the security of any of the world's countries."
"Nuclear weapons can neither guarantee anyone's security nor strengthen the power of any of the world's states, rather they are a threat to both of these," Khamenei said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns the use of nuclear and chemical weapons. We have raised the slogan of a 'Middle-East free of nuclear weapons' and we are committed to it."
"But, this does not mean ignoring the right to peaceful nuclear energy and nuclear fuel production. According to the international rules, the use of civilian nuclear technology is a right granted to all of the world's countries. Everyone should be entitled to make use of this safe energy for various vital purposes for their country and nation and should not depend on others permission to put this right into effect," he said.
Iran is in a showdown with the UN over its disputed nuclear programme, which has resulted in four sets of Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on it for pursuing uranium enrichment.
Khamenei also urged the NAM members to pay special attention to the Palestinian cause and called on: "The American backers of the Israeli regime" to accept Iran's proposal for a referendum in the Palestinian lands to determine the country's fate.
He blamed the western world for supporting and defending "the Zionist regime of Israel" against the oppressed Palestinian nation.
The Iranian supreme leader cautioned the US against the continuation of support and defense of Israel, stating the US support for the Israeli regime: "Has incurred many costs and losses on the American people."
Speaking on the situation in Syria, Khamenei blamed the: "Influx of weapons to the opposition" for the bloody events witnessed in the troubled country on a daily basis. However, he said that the Syrian government has the right to possess arms as he sees it as: "A right for all the governments in the world."
For his part, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who attended the summit referred to the Syrian conflict during his meeting with some top Iranian leaders including Khamenei and Ahmadinejad. the Secretary General recommended that Iran uses its influence over Syria to help put an end to the escalating crisis there. This came amid statements released by the UN last week hinting that Iran seemed to be supplying the Syrian regime with weapons in order to quell the Syrian uprising.
Martin Nesirky, Ban Ki-Moon's chief spokesperson, told reporters that the UN chief had extensive meetings with the Parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, followed by President Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Khamenei and Saeed Jalili, the highest ranking national security official. Jalili has been the main negotiator in Iran's nuclear dispute with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany.
The UN leader expressed regret that little progress had been achieved since the talks over Iran's nuclear programme resumed in April and told his hosts that Iran: "Has to take concrete steps and prove to the world its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes," Nesirky said.
Iran has denied Western and Israeli accusations that its uranium enrichment program is a cover to develop nuclear weapons.
Nesirky said the Secretary General told President Ahmadinejad that "the human rights situation in Iran remains a source of concern. Fundamental civil and political rights should be respected." In his meetings with the president and supreme leader, the spokesperson said Ban Ki-Moon: "Has strongly objected to recent remarks from Iranian officials denying the Holocaust and Israel's right to exist. Such remarks should be condemned by all."
On the sidelines of the summit, Iran's Supreme leader held a meeting with the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, in which he warned: "Some foreigners are trying to export some of the problems in the region to Lebanon," noting that such attempts can be foiled by: "Depending on the resistance," in reference to the Lebanese powerful Shiite group, Hezbollah.
Iran's supreme leader described Lebanon as an important and sensitive state in the region, notingL "The Lebanese leaders and figures managed to present a good experience and solve a lot of problems by standing firm in the face of the religious and sectarian disputes and supporting the resistance."
Khamenei has also voiced support for the national dialogue in Lebanon, saying it is the "correct policy."
According to remarks carried by the Iranian state-run news agency IRNA, Suleiman stressed: "The need to further develop the relations between Iran and Lebanon," hoping that: "The summit and Iran's chairmanship of the NAM would reflect positively on several issues, such as the Palestinian cause."
Earlier on Thursday, Suleiman held talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Tehran, Suleiman hoped the summit will: "Enable people to achieve democracy without foreign interference in their affairs."