Iranian president sends letter to Pope Benedict XVI

December 27, 2006

The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI which was delivered by the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Vatican City has not released the contents or details of the letter, but news agencies in Iran report that the letter contains a discussion about the United Nations resolution against Iran, which imposes sanctions.

In a statement, the Pope said that he "reaffirms the role that the Holy See intends to carry out for world peace, not as a political authority but as a religious and moral one ... so that peoples' problems will always be solved in dialogue, mutual understanding and peace."

Ehsan Jahandideh, a spokeperson for the President of Iran's office, states that the letter "is completely non-political. The president has emphasized in the message that cooperation of divine religions will help resolving problems of mankind."

There is no word on whether or not the contents of the letter will be released to the public.