Iran's firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will address a forum on water security in Thailand next week, an embassy official said on Friday, just weeks before he stands down from the post. His scheduled appearance in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai from Sunday comes as Iran gears up for elections and as world powers press the Islamic republic over its suspected nuclear program and support for the Syrian regime.
Ahmadinejad, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third straight term in next month's polls, is set to join regional leaders at the Asia-Pacific Water Summit, which will focus on water security and climate change. "He will arrive on Sunday (May 19) in Chiang Mai," an Iranian embassy official in Bangkok told AFP, requesting anonymity.