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Washington, 30 October (WashingtonTV)—United Arab Emirates foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said on Thursday that Iran should stop meddling in Arab affairs.

Addressing a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the foreign minister said: “Iran has to clarify its nuclear position and should stop interference in Arab affairs by taking honest steps in that direction.”

Abdullah stressed that Iran was “an important neighboring country” and “economic partner”, but that a dispute between the two countries over the sovereignty of three islands in the Persian Gulf was hampering greater ties, reports the Emirates News Agency [WAM].

“Iran should end its occupation of UAE’s islands. We want an end to this, we are ready to hold dialogue on this issue,” he told reporters.

The three islands, Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Mousa, are controlled by Iran, but the UAE claims sovereignty over them, based on a 1971 Memorandum of Understanding.

Rasmussen, for his part, said that NATO was not engaged in Iran, but that it was concerned about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. A nuclear-armed Iran could become a big threat for NATO, he added.

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