ISTANBUL — Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday that his country was open to discussing the establishment by the Bush administration of the first American diplomatic presence in Tehran since relations were severed nearly three decades ago.
The minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, welcomed as a “positive step” the administration’s decision to send a senior American official to participate in international talks with Iran this weekend, and said he expected the talks to make progress.
Speaking in Ankara, where he was on a one-day official visit with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, and other senior government officials, Mr. Mottaki said there had been increased demand from Iranians and Americans for better bilateral social and business relations, which had been the basis for earlier proposals for direct flights between the countries.
“I think there can be a meeting both on the opening of a United States Interests Section in Iran and also on starting direct flights,” he said. “We have proposed direct flights between the United States and Iran last year, given the intense demand from both American and Iranian people.”
Although there has been no official confirmation, European and American officials have said that the Bush administration was considering establishing an American diplomatic presence in Iran for the first time since relations were ended during the 444-day occupation of the American Embassy in Tehran, which started on Nov. 4, 1979.......
No comments:
Post a Comment