Iran said on Tuesday it will designate non-resident charge d’affaires with Britain, just few hours after the European country announced similar move.
Iran said on Tuesday it will designate non-resident charge d'affaires with Britain, just few hours after the European country announced similar move.
"Following the meeting between the two foreign ministers in New York, (Britain's) Willi
am Hague on Monday called Iranian (counterpart) Mohammad Javad Zarif to propose the appointment of charges d'affaires in both countries," ISNA news agency quoted foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham as saying.
"Pursuant to a decision by the Iranian parliament, it was agreed that from today the two countries have a relationship at the level of non-resident charges d'affaires," she added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hague said Britain and Iran would each appoint a charge d'affaires, a diplomatic post that is one level below ambassador.
"I've made very clear to Mr Zarif that we are open to more direct contact and further improvements in our bilateral relations," Hague said.
"We have therefore agreed that both our countries will now appoint a non-resident charge d'affaires tasked with implementing the building of relations, including interim steps on the way towards the eventual reopening of both our embassies as well as dialogue on other issues of mutual concern."
The breakthrough came after Hague met with Zarif twice on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month, and the pair had a telephone discussion on Monday.
Britain ordered Iran's embassy in London to shut after closing its own in Tehran following the storming of the compound by hundreds of Iranian students in November 2011.
They were demonstrating in front of the embassy to express anger over Western sanctions adopted against Tehran over its nuclear program.
