Ambassador of Iran summoned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Press release 179/2009
3 July, 2009

Ambassador Reza Nazarahari, the Iranian ambassador to Finland, was summoned today, 3 July, to the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs owing to the detention of staff of the British embassy to Teheran. The summoning of envoys was a jointly decided EU measure, and Iranian envoys were summoned in other EU capitals as well.

Under-Secretary of State Marjatta Rasi stated that the detention of British embassy staff is against all established diplomatic practices. The act is not seen as directed against the United Kingdom only, but against the European Union. The EU insists that the British embassy staff still held in custody be released immediately. The EU also appeals to Iranian authorities in Teheran for the protection of the staff at foreign missions of the EU Member States.

Additional information: First Secretary Päivi Alatalo, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, tel. +358 9 1605 6278, Counsellor Markku Lampinen, Unit for European Common Foreign and Security Policy, tel. +358 1605 5330