Xinhua: Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the French ambassador Bernard Poletti to protest Paris’ stance over regional issues in the Mideast, the state media reported. TEHRAN, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) — Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the French ambassador Bernard Poletti to protest Paris’ stance over regional issues in the Mideast, the state media reported.
Since France has chosen to provide “one-sided support” for the “Zionist regime” and French officials have made “unreal, illogical and hasty remarks” on the Iranian president, Director General for Western Europe at the Foreign Ministry Mostafa Dolatyar conveyed Iran’s protest to the French envoy, the official IRNA news agency said.
Dolatyar also criticized “the double standard policies” of France on Iran’s “peaceful nuclear program”, saying France ignored absolute realities on international scene and adopted “tough stands” on Iran.
According to the report, Poletti said Paris does not approve Israeli attacks in Gaza and regards Iran as its own friend and calls for expansion of all-out relations with the country.
The summons was apparently a tit-for-tat response after Paris last week summoned Iranian ambassador over anti-Israeli remarks made by its president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The French Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned Iran’s ambassador to Paris over the recent verbal attack against Israel made by Ahmadinejad.
Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini also protested the French summons, saying “the move was made under the pretext of certain realities in the region.”
He also slammed the “unfriendly” stand of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and several other French officials, saying the French government has based its stand on “unreal and illogical perceptions”.
“Iran will revise its stance regarding France if such move by Paris continues,” Hosseini warned.
Iran’s relations with France has turned into a kind of tension since Sarkozy took office and his government supported more sanctions against Tehran’s nuclear program.
World powers, including France, recently have agreed the outline of a third sanction resolution against Iran and the UN Security Council has held discussions on it.
Iran has downplayed the effect of possible new sanctions, saying Tehran would show a “serious and logical reaction” if the Security Council issues a third resolution.
