Iran, Britain to Soon Introduce Non-Resident Chargés D'affaires


Iran, Britain to Soon Introduce Non-Resident Chargés D'affaires

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran and Britain agreed Wednesday to present their respective chargés d'affaires within two weeks in order to resume diplomatic ties nearly two years after they were cut off.

The joint decision was made on Wednesday morning after senior diplomats from Tehran and London held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the two-day talks between Iran and G5+1 countries in the Swiss city of Geneva.

The meeting was attended by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Euro-American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi and British Foreign Office Political Director Simon Gass.

Top diplomats from Iran and the G5+1, also known as P5+1, which includes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council --Russia, China, the US, Britain and France-- as well as Germany started this fresh round of two-day negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program in Switzerland on Tuesday morning.

Earlier on October 8, Iranian Foreign Ministry had confirmed that Tehran and London were to resume diplomatic relations at the level of non-resident chargés d'affaires.

“The agreement has been reached on resuming Tehran-London diplomatic relations at the level of non-resident chargé d'affaires,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham had told Tasnim News Agency at the time.

However, the diplomats will reportedly remain in their own countries, but will discuss reopening embassies in London and Tehran.

The move to restore relations came after the British foreign secretary, William Hague, met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly in late September . The two top diplomats reached the final agreement in phone talk some days afterwards.

On November 27, 2011, a large majority of Iranian MPs voted to downgrade diplomatic ties with Britain, following Britain's decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran.

Later angry Iranian students stormed the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down that country’s flag.

After 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.

Most Visited in Politics
Top Politics stories
Top Stories