Foreign Ministry Protests Austrian Embassy On Ashton's Meetings

Tehran, March 11, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said that Iran has lodged official protest to the Austrian embassy in Tehran over irregular meetings of the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton here. She said the cases occurring during her stay in Tehran was due to the different attitudes and politically selective treatment of such an important issue as human rights. She said such arrangements will only deepen the distrust of the Iranian nation towards the West. She said it will certainly not help Iran-EU relations in any way. Afkham noted that contacts with the civil society is a normal practice in foreign relations as long as it is not seen as interference in a country’s domestic affairs just the way the Iranian foreign minister too holds meetings with the civil society groups during his visits to other countries. However, she added, the foreign ministry has officially protested to the Austrian embassy in Tehran over the issue. Ashton arrived in the Iranian capital Saturday evening at the invitation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. This is her first visit to Tehran since 2008.