Iran Rejects Talks between President Rouhani, British Foreign Secretary

TEHRAN – The Iranian foreign ministry dismissed the possibility of a meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and British Foreign Secretary William Hague as claimed by certain foreign media,according to FNA.

An informed source in the Iranian foreign ministry strongly rejected news claims on a possible meeting between the two officials, and explained that the remarks made by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif came only in response to a question posed to him about Hague’s readiness to have a meeting with him on the sideline of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Zarif responded to a question about the request of the British foreign secretary to have a meeting with him.

Zarif said that he has no problem with meeting his British counterpart William Hague on the sidelines of an upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York, but meantime underlined that the resumption of the Iran-UK ties depends on London’s behavior.

 “We do not have any problem with such a meeting, but what is important is its output,” Zarif said told reporters after a cabinet meeting here in Tehran on Wednesday.

Asked if his possible meeting with Hague can result in improving Iran-UK relations, he said, “This depends on the other side’s behavior.”

Unofficial sources disclosed on Tuesday that British Foreign Secretary William Hague has signaled his country’s resolve to improve relations with Iran by offering talks with senior Iranian diplomats.

They said that Hague has offered his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif to attend bilateral talks on the sidelines of the upcoming annual meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Hague had also earlier called his Iranian counterpart to felicitate Zarif on his appointment as Iran’s new foreign minister.

M.D