LONDON
The UK is set to re-open its embassy in Iran, the foreign secretary has announced.
In a written statement to the UK parliament Hague said that bilateral relations had improved and that he had spoken to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“I telephoned Foreign Minister Zarif to discuss the progress we have made to date and our common interest in continuing to move forward in the UK-Iran bilateral relationship,” said Hague.
Hague added, “I have therefore now decided the circumstances are right to reopen our embassy in Tehran. There are a range of practical issues that we will need to resolve first. However it is our intention to reopen the Embassy in Tehran with a small initial presence as soon as these practical arrangements have been made.”
However, Iranians will still have to apply in Istanbul and Abu Dhabi for visas to the UK because the embassy in Iran will only have a “limited range of services”.
The foreign secretary said that the concern has been that “staff would be safe and secure, and confidence that they would be able to carry out their functions without hindrance,” adding, “Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK's global diplomatic approach.”
Diplomatic relations were suspended after Iranian protesters attacked the British embassy in Iran in 2011. The UK responded by expelling Iranian diplomats from the UK.
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