Iranian, British FMs Likely to Confer on Reopening Embassies: MP
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif may meet his British counterpart Philip Hammond in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday to discuss the reopening of their respective embassies, an Iranian lawmaker announced on Sunday.
“Disucssions are underway on the reopening of the two countries' embassies, and, to that end, the foreign ministers of the two countries will probably hold a meeting in Brussels tomorrow,” Abass Ali Mansouri Arani, the head of Iran-Britain parliamentary friendship group, said in a press conference in Tehran.
The Iranian MP further highlighted the necessity for the reopening of embassies, saying that current conditions (of embassies) create many troubles for Iranian and British citizens.
He said the reopening of the two embassies was among the topics discussed during his 5-day visit to London.
A delegation of Iranian lawmakers on March 8 left Tehran for London to hold talks with British lawmakers on the bilateral relations.
Tehran-London relations became tense four years ago. On November 27, 2011, a large majority of Iranian lawmakers voted to downgrade diplomatic ties with Britain, following Britain's decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran.
Later, a group of angry Iranian students stormed the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down that country’s flag.
Following the incident, Britain withdrew its diplomatic staff from the country on November 30 and asked Iran’s diplomatic delegation in London to leave within 48 hours.
Iran and Britain agreed in October 2013 to appoint non-resident chargé d’affaires as a first step toward reopening their respective embassies.
The development followed a September 2013 meeting between Zarif and the then British foreign minister William Hague in New York, during which the two top diplomats discussed ways to improve Tehran-London ties.