http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0711176665113028.htm *President departs for Manama, Bahrain*
*President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad* left here on Saturday for a regional tour which will take him to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian president, heading a high-ranking delegation, will arrive in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from Manama this afternoon to take part in the third Summit of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The Iranian president was seen off at Mehrabad International airport by the Supreme Leader's representative Hojatoleslam Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi and several other officials of the country. During his stay in Manama, Ahmadinejad is to hold talks with his Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa on issues of mutual interest. Iranian and Bahraini delegations will also hold negotiations to sign a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to meet a group of Iranian nationals residing in Bahrain as well as Bahraini media persons. The third OPEC Summit will open Saturday night with participation of heads of state from 13 countries. OPEC member states are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, Iraq, Algeria, Kuwait, Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Venezuela. Ecuador, which had withdrawn from the organization in 1992, will take part in the summit. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
