Iranian parliament not having second thoughts about ties with Britain

TEHRAN,June 23(MNA) – Iranian MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi said that the Iranian parliament is standing firm on its decision to downgrade the level of diplomatic ties with Britain. Boroujerdi made the remarks in Tehran on Thursday in reference to the meeting that Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi held with British Foreign Secretary William Hague on the sidelines of a security conference in Kabul on June 14, which was the highest-level contact between the two countries since relations were nearly severed after the incident that occurred at the British Embassy in Tehran in 2011. On November 29, 2011, after a demonstration held to protest against the British government’s hostile policies toward Iran in front of the British Embassy in Tehran, a number of students entered the British Embassy compound and pulled down the Union Jack. The demonstration was held to protest against the fact that Britain ordered all British financial institutions to stop doing business with their Iranian counterparts, including the Central Bank of Iran, on November 21. On November 23, the Iranian parliament overwhelmingly approved a proposal calling for a reduction in the level of diplomatic and trade ties with Britain to a minimum level in response to the decision by the British government, and the ratification was endorsed by the Guardian Council on November 28. Britain’s Foreign Office said on June 14 that Hague had spoken to Salehi about the embassy incident and that both men had expressed hope that their countries “could move soon to confirm the appointment of formal protecting powers in each other’s capitals,” a reference to the appointment of third countries to look after Iranian interests in Britain and vice versa. Boroujerdi, who is the chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stated, “The representatives of the nation in the Majlis are standing firm on their stance regarding the reduction of ties with Britain.” “Britain withdrew all its staff from the British Embassy in Tehran, and, given this fact, Britain is responsible for the current state of relations between Iran and Britain, which is similar to the severance of ties. And Iran is not at all keen to enhance ties to the level of ambassador,” he added. Boroujerdi also said, “There is no discussion of enhancing ties, and the issue cannot be raised without the permission of the Majlis and (seeking) its opinion.” MPs seeking Salehi’s explanation about meeting with Hague MP Mehdi Davatgari, a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency on Friday that Salehi will attend a session of the committee on Sunday to brief MPs on his meeting with Hague. MP Amir Hossein Qazizadeh said on Thursday that MPs are waiting to hear the foreign minister’s explanation about his meeting with British the British foreign secretary. The issue will be discussed by the Majlis National Security Subcommittee, Qazizadeh said, adding, “We should first hear Mr. Salehi’s explanation and then comment on the issue.” He added, “We do not have any common interests with Britain,” and there is no need to increase the level of ties.