Back on track: Britain moves to revive diplomatic ties with Iran

Both countries agree on appointing non-resident charge d’affaires.

LONDON:

Britain has moved to revive diplomatic relations with Iran by appointing a non-resident charge d’affaires, a diplomatic post that is one level below ambassador.

It comes two years after an angry mob ransacked the British embassy in Tehran.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the decision to name envoys was made after he met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme in Geneva at the weekend.

“He and I took the opportunity to discuss further the bilateral relationship between Britain and Iran, and today both our governments have formally appointed our new Charge d’affaires,” Hague said in a statement to parliament on the nuclear talks.

“I expect the new UK Charge to make his first visit to Iran this month.”



The British Foreign Office had earlier on Monday named Ajay Sharma as its new non-resident charge d’affaires and minutes later Iran named its envoy as Mohammad Hassan Habibollah-zadeh.

In 2011, Britain ordered the closure of Iran’s embassy in London after closing its own in Tehran following the storming of the compound by hundreds of angry students.

They were protesting at Western sanctions against Tehran over its disputed nuclear drive, and ransacked the building as well as the British ambassador’s residence in north Tehran.

“I am very much looking forward to renewing direct UK contact with the Iranian government and society,” Sharma said in a statement, confirming that he hoped to visit Tehran later this month.

The Iranian foreign ministry was quoted by Fars news agency as saying that Habibollah-zadeh “will travel to London in the near future to examine the situation of Iran’s possessions and buildings in Britain and to improve consular activities.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2013.