Tehran-London ties to improve, Afkham

Tehran, April 29, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said that ties between Tehran and London is gradually improving. She made the remarks here Tuesday morning during her weekly press briefing, stressing that the recent visit to Tehran of the United Kingdom head of the Foreign Office political unit Simon Gass aims to that end. She reiterated that exchange of views between the two countries in this regard is still going on. Afkham noted that non-resident charge d’affaires are initially to start the first stage of their missions in either countries, adding that it will take time for the countries to mend their relations once they are tarnished. The FM official further noted that Gassˈs visit to Tehran is taking place in line with the efforts of the European political and parliamentary officials to pay visits to Tehran since President Hassan Rouhani took office. Given Iran’s influential role in settling regional crises, Afkham underlined the importance of exchange of views on such issues. Gass on Monday held talks with the Iranian Foreign Ministry officials on issues of mutual interests, the regional and global developments. He conferred with deputy foreign ministers Abbas Araqchi, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian separately on ways to develop mutual relations, Iranˈs peaceful nuclear program and current developments in the Middle East region. On Iran-5+1 nuclear talks, he underlined the UKˈs responsibility in that respect. end