Canada closed embassy in Tehran due to economic problems:Iranian official

TEHRAN, Sept. 18 (MNA) – An Iranian Foreign Ministry official said one of the reasons that Canada closed its embassy in Tehran is that this country is facing economic problems. “One of the reasons of their move is definitely economic crisis,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said as he visited the office of the Mehr News Agency on Monday. Mehmanparast said Canadian officials have said they have saved about 150 million dollars by closing embassies in some countries. However, Mehmanparast said, this point that the “extremist” government of Stephen Harper is trying to “politicize” the issue due to its alliance with Israel or raising “irrelevant issues as a reason for its imprudent move” will not deceive people. On September 7 Canada pulled all its diplomats out of Iran and then cut off ties. It also expelled Iranian diplomats from Ottawa. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird cited Iran’s nuclear program, its hostility toward Israel, and Iran’s alleged military assistance to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the reasons for the decision to close the embassy. Mehmanparast said the cutting of diplomatic relations will naturally create problems for Iranians living in Canada who need access to consular services and this consequently will create a sense of dissatisfaction among these people’s families in Iran and the Ottawa government is cunningly trying to portray Iranian officials as responsible for this situation. However, he said Tehran will do its utmost to provide consular services to Iranians living in Canada through different channels. He also said the claim by Ottawa government that foreign diplomats in Iran are not safe originates from Canada’s officials’ “uncontrollable anger” which followed the successful holding of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran in late August.