10 April 2005 Sunday 30 Safar 1426 Khatami denies handshake TEHRAN, April 9: Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami strongly denied that he shook hands with his Israeli counterpart Moshe Katsav at Pope John Paul’s funeral, the official IRNA news agency said on Saturday. Katsav said he shook hands with both Khatami and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the funeral on Friday. Syria’s official news agency on Friday confirmed Assad shook hands with Katsav but said it was just a formality, adding that the two leaders did not exchange any words. Israel has accused Iran of supporting anti-Israeli militants and has been a fierce critic of its nuclear programme. “Recognising Israel means recognising occupation and force ... it will be a blow to humanity,” Khatami told IRNA. “Morally and logically we do not recognise the Zionist regime.”—Reuters

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