Eurasia Press & News
Czech-Iranian relations should be stabilized and a space for communication should open, Czech Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalova told CTK after a meeting between Foreign Minister Karel Sschwarzenberg and Iranian parliament foreign committee head Alaaddin Borujerdi Tuesday. The planned promotion of bilateral diplomatic relations from the level of charge d’affaires to the ambassadorial level should contribute to this, Opletalova added.
“We have already started talks on mutual representation by ambassadors,” Opletalova said.
In Iran, ambassadors have to be approved by parliament.
The Czech Republic would be glad if Iran managed to do so before Prague assumes the EU presidency in the first half of 2009, Opletalova said.
Borujerdi told journalists that the decision on promoting diplomatic relations to the ambassadorial level must first be made by the Iranian government.
The Iranian deputies will support such a decision, Borujerdi said.
Borujerdi also said Iran is interested in establishing a Czech-Iranian chamber of commerce.
Borujerdi has invited Czech deputies as well as Schwarzenberg to visit Iran to improve mutual relations.
Besides, a visit by Czech Industry and Trade Ministry representatives to Iran has been agreed upon.
Another sphere in which the Czech Republic can cooperate with Iran is fight against drug mafias in Afghanistan, Borujerdi told journalists.
The Iranian parliamentary delegation is on a three-day visit to the Czech Republic.
On Monday, Borujerdi, taking part in a public discussion, said that the United States is a dictatorial country, and criticized the US plans to build elements of the anti-missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.
