Zarif urges EU top official to clarify position after Slovenian PM anti-Iran remarks

Zarif made the call during a telephone conversation Sunday evening with Borrell one day after Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa took part in a hybrid physical and virtual meeting organized by the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), held at their camp in Albania, and raised unfounded accusations against the Islamic Republic, Mehr News Agency reported.

Condemning the Slovenian PM unacceptable move, Foreign Minister Zarif called for a clarification of European Union’s position regarding Janas statements since Slovenia is currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU.

While expressing his regret over remarks put forwards by Slovenian prime minister, Borrell stressed that the remarks made by the Slovenian PM and what was said at the meeting were in no way the position of the European Union towards relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He went on to say that the positions of European Union at the level of leaders are expressed only by the President of the Council and at the level of Ministers only by the High Representative of the European Union, so that the remarks of Prime Minister of Slovenia are not in any way in the capacity of the European Union.

Following the Slovenian PM’s unacceptable and undiplomatic participation in the MKO’s meeting, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the country’s ambassador to Tehran and officially protested the move, Press TV wrote.

Kristina Radej was also informed of Iran’s serious complaints against Jansa’s move and unfounded accusations against the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry stressed in the meeting that the Slovenian prime minister’s participation in a meeting organized by a terrorist group, which is hated by the great people of Iran, and his untrue and flagrant statements are in contradiction to diplomatic norms and the two countries’ relations and are condemned by the Islamic Republic.

In addition, supporting a terrorist group is against the United Nations’. Charter, international principles and human rights values and, thus, are is not acceptable at all, the ministry noted.

Later in the day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh reacted to the undiplomatic move of the Slovenian prime minister by posting a message on his Twitter account that said, “Bought Western politicians (incl #LyingCheatingStealing Pompeo) sell themselves cheap for a Europe-hosted circus arranged by a once Saddam-backed terrorist cult with Iranian blood on its hands.”

“Insatiable thirst for $$ & anti-Iran obsession is driving shameful Western hypocrisy,” he added in his tweet posted on Saturday night.

The MKO has conducted numerous assassinations and bombings against Iranian statesmen and civilians since the 1979 victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. Its members fled Iran in 1986 for Iraq, where they enjoyed backing from former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist assaults since the Islamic Revolution, about 12,000 have fallen victim to the MKO’s acts of terror.

The anti-Iran cult was on the US government’s list of terrorist organizations until 2012. Major European countries, including France, have also removed it from their blacklists.

A few years ago, the MKO elements were relocated from their Camp Ashraf in Iraq’s Diyala Province to Camp Hurriyet (Camp Liberty), a former US military base in Baghdad, and later sent to Albania.

The MKO terrorists enjoy freedom of activity in the US and Europe, and even hold meetings with European and American officials.

Source:Tehran Times