...

Iranian FM to be questioned by lawmakers on strolling with Kerry

Politics Materials 30 January 2015 15:28 (UTC +04:00)
Iran’s foreign minister will present himself before the country’s parliament to answer 25 lawmaker’s questions, most concerning his stroll in Switzerland with US Secretary of State John Kerry during the nuclear negotiations and about the negotiations themselves
Iranian FM to be questioned by lawmakers on strolling with Kerry

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 30

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

Iran's foreign minister will present himself before the country's parliament to answer 25 lawmaker's questions, most concerning his stroll in Switzerland with US Secretary of State John Kerry during the nuclear negotiations and about the negotiations themselves.

According to IRNA, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will be present in Parliament on Feb.3.

Iran's ISNA agency reported Jan.25 that at least 25 Iranian MPs have signed a petition to question Zarif about his stroll with Kerry.

Zarif and Kerry took a stroll in downtown Geneva and along the Rhone River for almost 15-minutes on Jan. 14 as part of bilateral talks to reach a comprehensive deal over Iran's nuclear program.

The MPs also are critical of 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 in the same period when the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo published an insulting cartoon of Prophet Muhammad as well as his "symbolic stroll" with Kerry were diplomatic mistakes.

It should be noted that the January 14th 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 not reacting more strongly to the controversy.

The Iranian foreign minister earlier on Jan. 6 took part in a parliament open session and respond to MPs questions on the 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) has been extended until July 1, 2015 to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement.

Edited by CN

Latest

Latest