Iran drops IAEA seat nomination for Syria 
October 1, 2008
Yahoo News
Original Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081001/wl_mideast_afp/irannuclearpoliticsiaea_081001092110

Iran's ambassador to the IAEA said on Wednesday that Tehran had dropped its bid for a seat on the board of the UN atomic watchdog in favour of a place for regional ally Syria, state-run television has reported.
The Islamic republic has officially refrained from pursuing its right to be nominated to the board to pave the way for the membership of Syria, Ali Asghar Soltanieh was quoted on the website of the Arabic-language television as saying.
The Iran-Syria alliance, stretching back more than three decades, was strengthened in 2006 with the signing of a military cooperation agreement.
Iran and Syria, both under fire for allegedly engaging in clandestine nuclear activity, were seeking a seat on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, much to the consternation of Western states.
The 35 members of the IAEA board are elected each year by the body's highest policy-making body, the General Conference, which comprises all 144 member states.