‘Iran will send back ambassador to Libya at the earliest opportunity’

TEHRAN, Sept.14(MNA) – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said that Iran will send back its ambassador to Libya at the earliest opportunity.

Iran’s ambassador to Libya left the African country amid the pro-democracy uprising.

“Iran was among those few countries whose embassies continued their activities during the crisis in Libya, and our embassy was never closed,” Mehmanparast stated during his weekly press briefing on Tuesday.

“(However), in protest at the Libyan government’s crackdown on the people, Iran decreased the level of its embassy’s activities in a certain period,” he said.

“After the NTC took control of the Libyan capital, it asked Iran to increase (its embassy’s) activities to the level of ambassador, and we welcomed the request,” Mehmanparast explained.

Asked if Iran will recognize the Libyan National Transitional Council, he said, “We have thrown our weight behind the Libyan people and their campaign against the oppressor and sent our humanitarian assistance to the country during the developments.”

“We have also been in contact with officials at the NTC. And the latest news we have been informed of is the telephone conversation held between Foreign Minister (Ali Akbar Salehi) and the NTC Chairman (Mustafa) Abdul Jalil, in which they invited each other to their countries,” he added.

The necessary meetings between Iranian and Libyan officials will be organized after the establishment of a democratic government in Libya, he stated.