The British non-resident chargé d'affaires to Iran underlined the necessity of reopening the two countries' embassies, saying the move would pave the way for expansion of political and economic relations between Tehran and London.
Ajay Sharma made the remarks in a meeting with the head of the Iran-Britain Parliamentary Friendship Group, Abbasali Mansouri Arani, in Tehran on Tuesday.
The British official praised Iran's role in the campaign against terrorism and illicit drug trafficking as "positive", saying cooperation between Iran and other regional players can help "boost peace and stability" in the Middle East and the world, ICANA reported.
The parliamentarian, for his part, said the reopening of the embassies would help solve the problems facing Iranian businessmen and the students and citizens who reside in Britain.
Touching on the activities of the self-declared Islamic State (IS) militant group in the region, the lawmaker said the membership of hundreds of European youths in the terrorist group is a serious threat to global peace and security, stressing the need to take proper measures to block the flow of financial and intelligence aid to IS.
He referred to the solutions presented by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a recent letter to the western youth, in which he called on the youths in Europe to build close links with the holy Quran and pure Islamic teachings.
Mansouri Arani also denounced the policy of western governments to form and equip IS and criticized them for not showing a strong will to fight the terrorist group. Referring to the Iranians' negative attitude toward Britain's policies, the lawmaker said, "The British government should change its policy to repair the mentality."
He linked the lack of stability and peace in the region to the western countries' interference, noting that the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan has not helped with the drug problem and has, instead, led to a faster trend of narcotics production in the region.
Elsewhere, he pointed to the nuclear talks between Iran and the major powers and said, "Iran will never relinquish its nuclear rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Geneva deal (the interim deal Iran signed with its international negotiating partners in November 2013)."
