Post #59738

Back in 2008, when Ghalibaf was mayor of Tehran, he attended the World Economic Forum in Davos to tout economic opportunities in his city. The New York Times ran a piece on him, describing him as a "presidential contender." Asked about relations with the U.S., he replied, "If the United States can change its unilateral approach and replace it with a bilateral approach, then we can have dialogue." An aide then explained to the reporter that Iran wanted the United States to treat it as an equal partner, not as a renegade nation to be brought into line. All these years later, Ghalibaf is arriving in Islamabad with the authority of a president and with a mandate to hold historic talks with the U.S.