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UK Embassy Should Provide Consular Services

UK Embassy Should Provide Consular Services
UK Embassy Should Provide Consular Services

A Parliamentarian said on Friday that the British Embassy in Tehran is expected to be reopened by the end of this Iranian calendar year which ends on March 20.

The head of Iran-UK parliamentary friendship group, Abbasali Mansouri Arani, said, “Following numerous rounds of negotiations between officials of the two countries, Tehran and London have agreed to reopen their embassies,” adding that the British Embassy should take the necessary measures to provide consular services to Iranian citizens, YJC reported.

“Every year many Iranians travel to Britain and it is unacceptable for us that Iranian nationals go to other countries to get a visa for Britain.”

Arani also touched on “technical difficulties” to import into Iran equipment for the British Embassy’s operation that had been raised by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond late last month and said, “I am not aware of what kind of equipment they are referring to, however, such issues have been elaborated in (international) protocol.”

Meanwhile, IRNA quoted an unnamed official at the foreign ministry as saying that non-resident chargés d’affaires from both countries are currently carrying out their diplomatic duties. “The Iranian non-resident chargés d’affaires is currently in London and his British counterpart will be visiting Tehran in future.”

In November 2011, Britain cut its ties with Tehran and withdrew its diplomatic staff from Iran and the Iranian Embassy in London was closed.

The move came after an angry group stormed the British Embassy in Tehran to protest Britain’s policy on Iran. Parliament had earlier voted in favor of downgrading diplomatic relations with Britain. Nearly two years later in October 2013, and following the election of President Hassan Rouhani, the two countries agreed to appoint non-resident chargés d’affaires as a first step toward reopening their embassies.

 

Financialtribune.com