LONDON Britain and Iran will each appoint a charge d’affaires to work towards resuming ties severed after a mob attacked the British embassy in Teheran in 2011, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Tuesday.
The diplomats, one level below ambassador, will remain in their respective countries but will look into re-opening embassies in London and Teheran, Hague told the House of Commons.
The breakthrough came after Hague met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif twice on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month, and the pair had a telephone discussion on Monday.
“I’ve made very clear to Zarif that we are open to more direct contact and further improvements in our bilateral relations,” he said.
“We have therefore agreed that both our countries will now appoint a non-resident charge d’affaires tasked with implementing the building of relations, including interim steps on the way towards the eventual reopening of both our embassies as well as dialogue on other issues of mutual concern.”
Hague said the tone of discussions with the Iranians had changed since the election of President Hassan Rowhani in June, and noted resumption of talks planned later this month on Iran’s nuclear programme.
He said any change to western sanctions would require a ‘substantial change’ to Iran’s plans. “We must test Iran’s sincerity to the full, and it is important that our channels of communication are open for that.”
