No Date Fixed for French Official’s Iran Visit

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Tehran is not still informed of the date of the visit to Iran by the French President’s special envoy.

Speaking to reporters during his weekly press conference here on Sunday, Hosseini said that both sides have agreed on the visit, and continued, “But the level and date of the visit has not yet been decided.”

Elsewhere, he dismissed any change in Iran’s nuclear policies, and further expressed the hope that the West would try the negotiation option to resolve the nuclear issue.

Stressing that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is informed of all Iran’s nuclear activities, the spokesman said, “We do not accept suspension of the nuclear activities because such a demand lacks legality and rationality.”

Asked about a reported visit to Tehran by the US officials, he denied the report, but said that Tehran is ready to study any such request.

Referring to the conditions in Iraq, he called on all Iranian nationals to avoid trips to Iraq under the present conditions.

Asked about the recent statements made by the Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani about Iran-US negotiations, Hosseini mentioned, “If Americans make an official request to attend talks with Tehran about regional issues, we will study such a demand.”

In response to another question about the fate of the Iranian diplomats kidnapped in Iraq during a US raid on the Iranian consulate general in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, he said, “As far as we know, they are still in Iraq and have not been taken outside that country.”

Meantime, he dismissed establishment of any direct contacts by Tehran with the US officials about the release of the Iranian diplomats and stressed that the Islamic Republic is pursuing the issue through Iraqi officials.

Hosseini also underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran has and will never choose to settle its disputes with the US in Iraq.

The foreign ministry spokesman also said that Hassan Abbasi and Mohammad Ja’fari Shahroudi are not among the Iranian kidnapped diplomats in Iraq.