Iran's New Charge d'Affaires to UK to Visit London This Week
Iran's new envoy to Britain is to make his first visit to London this week, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday, as ties thaw between the two countries.
The visit by Hassan Habibollah-Zadeh follows a trip to Tehran last week by his British counterpart Ajay Sharma.
Sharma's visit was the first time a British diplomat has gone to Iran since Islamist students ransacked the British embassy two years ago, pushing relations into deep freeze.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman told Agence France Presse that Habibollah-Zadeh would spend Thursday and Friday in Britain.
"He will meet UK officials at the Foreign Office on Friday 13, including the UK non-resident charge d'affaires Ajay Sharma," the spokeswoman said.
Britain shut its Tehran embassy after it was badly damaged in the November 2011 ransacking by students who were protesting against Western sanctions over Iran's disputed nuclear program.
But relations have improved since moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani became Iran's new president in August.
The two countries each named a non-resident charge d'affaires -- a diplomatic post that is one level below ambassador -- last month.
Source: Agence France Presse
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