ID :
185276
Mon, 05/30/2011 - 10:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185276
The shortlink copeid
Salehi: Iranian Diplomat Detained by Mistake
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi dismissed the media hype about the detention of an Iranian diplomat in Egypt, saying that the envoy had been arrested as a result of a mistake and was released after two hours of custody.
"The case was merely a misunderstanding which was resolved," Salehi stressed.
"The individual is currently following his normal schedule," he added.
Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi also said on Sunday the Egyptian officials had released the Iranian diplomat after taking him into custody and offered their apologies.
Reuters and the Saudi-backed Al-Arabia channel claimed that Egyptian authorities have arrested an Iranian diplomat on charges of spying on the North African country for Tehran's intelligence services.
The Iranian interests section in Cairo strongly denied the report.
"He is in the embassy as I speak. It did not happen that way," an official in the section told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Qassem Hosseini is currently in his office and doing his work," Al-Alam news network quoted an informed source at the Iranian Foreign Ministry as saying.
Al-Alam's correspondent in Cairo also reported that Hosseini is working in his office at Iran's interests section in the Egyptian capital city.
It appears that they arrested the Iranian diplomat without the knowledge of Egypt's Foreign Ministry to create media hype against Iran.
According to Egypt's official news agency, MENA, the detainee was released after the Foreign Ministry Security Prosecution learned that "he was a diplomat with the Iranian mission".
Plots to undermine the resumption of Iran-Egypt ties came after a prominent Egyptian Shiite figure cautioned that Israel and a number of Arab states, specially Saudi Arabia, are attempting to trouble resumption of ties between Iran and Egypt.
Speaking to FNA last week, Egypt's Prominent Shiite Leader Rasim al-Nafis warned of certain states' opposition to the establishment of strong ties between Tehran and Cairo, and stated, "The Arab Persian Gulf littoral states, including Saudi Arabia, the Zionist Regime of Israel and the remnants of (Hosni) Mubarak's regime view the resumption of Tehran-Cairo ties as harmful to their interests and, thus, try to prevent resumption of these relations."
Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi reiterated at a press conference after he was appointed to his post just two months ago that Cairo is definitely willing to resume its bilateral diplomatic ties with Tehran.
Al-Arabi said Cairo has officially announced plans to normalize ties with Tehran, and underlined that Egypt had entered a new chapter in its foreign policy with all nations.
After the collapse of Hosni Mubarak's regime, the Iranian and Egyptian officials have frequently voiced their interest in the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Iran's top diplomat Ali Akbar Salehi has officially invited al-Arabi to pay a visit to Tehran.
"The case was merely a misunderstanding which was resolved," Salehi stressed.
"The individual is currently following his normal schedule," he added.
Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi also said on Sunday the Egyptian officials had released the Iranian diplomat after taking him into custody and offered their apologies.
Reuters and the Saudi-backed Al-Arabia channel claimed that Egyptian authorities have arrested an Iranian diplomat on charges of spying on the North African country for Tehran's intelligence services.
The Iranian interests section in Cairo strongly denied the report.
"He is in the embassy as I speak. It did not happen that way," an official in the section told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Qassem Hosseini is currently in his office and doing his work," Al-Alam news network quoted an informed source at the Iranian Foreign Ministry as saying.
Al-Alam's correspondent in Cairo also reported that Hosseini is working in his office at Iran's interests section in the Egyptian capital city.
It appears that they arrested the Iranian diplomat without the knowledge of Egypt's Foreign Ministry to create media hype against Iran.
According to Egypt's official news agency, MENA, the detainee was released after the Foreign Ministry Security Prosecution learned that "he was a diplomat with the Iranian mission".
Plots to undermine the resumption of Iran-Egypt ties came after a prominent Egyptian Shiite figure cautioned that Israel and a number of Arab states, specially Saudi Arabia, are attempting to trouble resumption of ties between Iran and Egypt.
Speaking to FNA last week, Egypt's Prominent Shiite Leader Rasim al-Nafis warned of certain states' opposition to the establishment of strong ties between Tehran and Cairo, and stated, "The Arab Persian Gulf littoral states, including Saudi Arabia, the Zionist Regime of Israel and the remnants of (Hosni) Mubarak's regime view the resumption of Tehran-Cairo ties as harmful to their interests and, thus, try to prevent resumption of these relations."
Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi reiterated at a press conference after he was appointed to his post just two months ago that Cairo is definitely willing to resume its bilateral diplomatic ties with Tehran.
Al-Arabi said Cairo has officially announced plans to normalize ties with Tehran, and underlined that Egypt had entered a new chapter in its foreign policy with all nations.
After the collapse of Hosni Mubarak's regime, the Iranian and Egyptian officials have frequently voiced their interest in the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Iran's top diplomat Ali Akbar Salehi has officially invited al-Arabi to pay a visit to Tehran.
