ROME, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday blamed the West for the soaring food prices, while attacking the U.S. policy in the Middle East.

    Addressing a world summit on food security, hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ahmadinejad said the current high food prices were due to a set of major reasons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gives a speech during a summit on food security at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "The devaluation of the dollar and the global inflation, and some others consider environmental changes and droughts, the increase in consumption, the inappropriateness of agricultural methods and the low level of production efficiency, and the witness of farmers," he said.

    But he accused the West of intentionally devaluing the U.S. dollar, fueling the rise in oil and food prices.

    "Today the planners of the big powers act in order to devaluate(the) dollar," he said, adding the western countries intended to "impose their will on the market."

    The high-level conference was called at a time when the world is experiencing a dramatic increase in food prices, aimed at winning donor pledges for urgent aid as short-term solutions and also to generate longer term strategies to safeguard food production.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks during a U.N. crisis summit on rising food prices at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome June 3, 2008. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and some 40 heads of state or government attended the three-day meeting, with soaring food prices, climate change and biofuels centered on the agenda.

    As a solution, Ahmadinejad suggested "the formation of an independent and powerful body, obeyed by all countries, to justly regulate the food market and organize all its related issues from production to consumption."

    At a press conference on the sidelines of the summit, Ahmadinejad attacked the U.S. President George W. Bush for his hostile policy towards Iran.

    "Bush is very much interested in a military attack against Iran. Several times he has tried to find excuses for such an attack, but every time he has failed," Ahmadinejad said.

    "The United States (has) brought the Middle East nothing but threats, pressure and coercion," he added.

    Ahmadinejad insisted Tehran's nuclear program is legal and transparent, not as Washington has claimed.

    He reiterated his earlier statement that the state of Israel would cease to exist. "This will happen whether we are involved init or not," he said.

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