Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 25
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
At least 20 Iranian MPs have signed a petition to question foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif on stroll in Switzerland with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the Islamic Republic's ISNA new agency reported Jan. 25.
Zarif and Kerry took a stroll in downtown Geneva and along the Rhone River for almost 15-minutes on January 14 as part of bilateral talks to reach a comprehensive deal over Iran's nuclear program.
The MPs also criticize Zarif's visit to Paris to meet his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius within the framework of nuclear talks.
The lawmakers' petition reads that traveling to Paris on the same period when the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo published insulting cartoon of Prophet Muhammad as well as "symbolic stroll" with Kerry were diplomatic mistakes.
It should be noted that the January 14 cover of the French weekly featured Prophet Muhammad shedding tears while holding a sign that says "Je suis Charlie."
Last week thousands of Iranians held protests against the cartoon in front of the French Embassy in Tehran, while some hardliners accused the government of having a weak reaction to the controversy.
Iranian foreign minister earlier in Jan. 6 took part in a parliament open session and respond to MPs questions on nuclear talks with P5+1 group.
Zarif emphasized that the negotiating team doesn't pursue any party's agenda in nuclear talks.
"Our strategy is based on the views of Islamic revolution's leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei)," he added.
At the end of that session the MPs voted on the foreign ministers' comments, to show if they were satisfied with the answers. 125 lawmakers voted in favor, 86 voted against, and 8 abstained.
Talks between Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, UK, France, Russia, China plus Germany) is extended until July 1, 2015 to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement.
After the sides failed to meet the 24 Nov. 2014 deadline they also extended the Geneva nuclear deal, which was signed in November 2013 for providing Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Tehran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities.
Follow the author on Twitter: @UmidNiayesh