Iranian President Syed Mohammed Khatami was accorded a warm welcome in Hyderabad on Monday night.

Khatami, who is heading a 65-member delegation, arrived at 2340 IST by a special aircraft.

Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, Union Minister of State for Railways Bandaru Dattatreya, state Home Minister T Devender Goud, Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy and Chief Secretary Sathi Nair were among those who received him at the airport.

A large number of Iranian citizens cheered their president.
 
On Tuesday Khatami will visit Hitec City, which houses a large number of Indian and foreign companies. Officials of Hitec City as well as the government will brief him on the rapid strides made by the IT industry in the city.

Later, Khatami will visit the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, a premier scientific research institute in Hyderabad. CCMB officials and scientists will brief him on several important research projects, particularly in the field of genetics and human cells.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who will return from Davos on Tuesday morning, will call on the Iranian president at Hotel Taj Krishna.

Barnala will host a lunch in Khatami's honour at the Raj Bhavan.

Before leaving for Teheran at 1600 IST, the president will spend about an hour at the Iranian consulate in the city and interact with Iranian citizens.

Hyderabad and other cities and towns in the state have scores of Iranians who are engaged in hotel and bakery businesses.