Baku, Azerbaijan, March 14
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
Rob Macaire has been appointed the UK Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran in succession to Nicholas Hopton, the UK government said in a press release on Wednesday.
“Iran has an important role to play in the Middle East region, but it is essential that it does so in a constructive way – something I made clear during my visit to Tehran in December last year. The Iran deal, signed in 2015, was a huge diplomatic success. The product of years of patient and persistent diplomacy that extinguished the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran,” Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said commenting on the appointment.
“In that vein, I am pleased that Rob will be applying his wealth of international experience to the leading HMG’s engagement in Tehran. We face challenges – including the ongoing cases of British dual-nationals detained in Iran – and areas for potential collaboration. I look forward to working with him across these areas."
In the meantime, Rob Macaire pledged to help preserve Iran nuclear deal and find political solutions to the regional crisis.
“I am honoured to be appointed the new British Ambassador to Iran. The UK’s continued engagement with Iran is vital to our goal of making the Middle East region a safer and more stable place. I look forward to working with the Government of Iran and with international partners to preserve the nuclear deal and deepen our bilateral relationship, through constructive engagement on human rights, trade, and seeking political solutions to the conflicts in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere."