Fars News Agency Managing-Director Hamid Reza Moqaddamfar on Sunday reiterated that the recent visit to Lebanon by President Ahmadinejad has yielded positive results for Iran, Lebanon and the region.

Lebanon today witnessed one of the largest public diplomacy “events” staged by Iran, in the form of a formal state visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. While a state visit as such is not normally framed as a public diplomacy event, Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon was marked by a degree of idiosyncrasy.

The question of soft power, when it comes to Iran, is contentious. Most analysts seem prepared to acknowledge that the Islamic Republic’s soft power in the Middle East rose significantly in the first several years of this decade.

Lebanon today witnessed one of the largest public diplomacy “events” staged by Iran, in the form of a formal state visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. While a state visit as such is not normally framed as a public diplomacy event, Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon was marked by a degree of idiosyncrasy. This is not just because of Ahmadinejad himself (who excelled at the role of modest and earnest leader), but also because of the role played by Hizbullah in this public diplomacy event.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's motorcade was showered with rice and flowers on its way from the airport to the presidential palace. But many people are alarmed at the visit, as Iran backs the Hezbollah group, an avowed enemy of Israel. In a move likely to outrage critics, Mr Ahmadinejad is set to tour villages on Lebanon's tense border with Israel.

German Ambassador to Tehran Bernd Erbel has denounced Western media propaganda against the Islamic Republic as “unreal”, saying Iran is a unique country in the Middle East. It is necessary to make constant efforts to amend the "incorrect" understanding by Western media of Iran, IRNA quoted Erbel as saying...

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to the Pope, thanking him for condemning an American pastor's threat to burn the Koran last month. In his letter, Mr Ahmadinejad also called for closer co-operation between Iran and the Vatican.

Representatives from the American Telemedicine Association, along with leaders from other U.S. telemedicine programs, will participate next week in the inaugural Electronic and Telemedicine Hospital Symposium in Tehran, Iran, to advocate the use of telemedicine for medical diplomacy and cooperative international development.