HC Deb 12 May 2000 vol 349 cc495-6W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 8 May 2000,Official Report, columns 257-58W, if he raised the issue of legal proceedings concerning members of the Jewish community when he spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi on 28 April regarding the postponement of his visit to Iran; and what factors underlay his decision to postpone the visit. [121674]

Mr. Hain

[holding answer 11 May 2000]: Further to my answer of 8 May 2000, Official Report, columns 257-58W, the Foreign Secretary has raised this issue on a number of occasions with Foreign Minister Kharrazi (including when he visited London in January), and with the Iranian ambassador. He did not discuss it or other foreign policy concerns during his telephone call to Foreign Minister Kharrazi on 29 April which focused exclusively on the postponement of his visit to Iran in the light of the situation in Zimbabwe.