Envoy Hails Future Perspective of Iran-Britain Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Britain’s Chargé d’Affaires in Iran Nicholas Hopton referred to an ongoing historic visit to London by Iranian foreign minister as a “positive step” toward the normalization of ties between Iran and Britain.
Speaking to the Islamic Republic News Agency in London, Hopton described the outlook of future relations between Iran and Britain as very positive.
He also said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to Britain is a positive step, and another move toward the normalization process of Tehran-London ties.
Hopton further touched upon the reopening of the visa section in British embassy in Tehran, saying it would begin work soon.
The remarks came after Zarif and his British counterpart Philip Hammond held a meeting in London on Friday, during which the two sides declared the visa sections of the two countries’ embassies will be reopened later this month.
After the 1.5-hour-long talks held on Friday morning, the two diplomats told reporters that visa issuance will be resumed within the next weeks, probably in late February.
Zarif’s trip to London was the first official visit by an Iranian foreign minister in more than a decade. Hammond described the visit in a post in his Twitter account as a “symbol of warming relations” between Tehran and London.
The Iranian foreign minister had earlier held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday, during which the two highlighted the progress in Tehran-London relations, and called for expansion of trade ties.
“The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Zarif agreed that progress had been made on the bilateral relationship, and there was an opportunity to do more to boost trade links,” a spokesman for the British administration said.
Iran-Britain ties soured in 2011. On November 27, 2011, a large majority of Iranian lawmakers voted to downgrade diplomatic ties with Britain, following Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran.
Later, angry Iranian students stormed the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down the European country’s flag.
Following the incident, Britain withdrew its diplomatic staff from Tehran on November 30 and asked Iran’s diplomatic delegation in London to leave within 48 hours.
The two countries made diplomatic efforts afterwards to amend ties.
In August 2015, the British embassy in Iran reopened after a 4-year closure.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Hammond attended a ceremony in Tehran to mark the reopening on August 23. It was the first visit by a British foreign secretary to Iran since 2003.
Simultaneously, Iran’s embassy in London also reopened.
