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Iran's President Visits Security Council Member Uganda


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is visiting Uganda, a member of the United Nations Security Council, which may vote on additional sanctions against Iran for its nuclear activities.

The Iranian leader is trying to rally support for Iran's nuclear program, which some Western nations say is aimed at building weapons - a charge Iran denies.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Friday defended the right of every country to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, while calling for all nuclear weapons to be eradicated.

Uganda has not indicated how it would vote if proposed sanctions against Iran are brought to the Security Council.

Mr. Ahmadinejad traveled to Uganda from Zimbabwe where he met with that country's president, Robert Mugabe, who offered support for Iran's nuclear program.

Mr. Mugabe said his country and Iran have been "unjustly vilified" by the West.

Meantime, Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change, which is part of the unity government, denounced the Iranian president as a warmonger.

During his visit to Uganda, Mr. Ahmadinejad will also discuss his country's possible investment in Uganda's newly discovered oil fields.

Developers recently found a deposit containing 700 million barrels of oil in eastern Uganda. They believe the country may have an additional 1.5 billion deposits.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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