CCTV

Headline News

World

Iran expels German diplomat

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 01-07-2008 09:30

Iran has expelled a German diplomat for alleged "undiplomatic activities". The expulsion comes in the wake of Germany's reported expulsion last July of an Iranian consular attache from Germany.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini confirmed the expulsion during his weekly briefing on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini confirmed the expulsion during his weekly briefing on Sunday. He did not reveal the diplomat's name.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini said, "The Iranian authorities in charge recognized that non-diplomatic activities were being carried out and announced that this German diplomat must leave the soil of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

But he did not say if the German diplomat had already left Iran.

A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she could only confirm that a German diplomat had left Iran, but declined to elaborate.

Last month, a German news agency reported that a Iranian diplomat had been expelled in July after contacting a firm in Bavaria. The diplomat was said to be trying to buy a systems control component that could be used in the uranium enrichment process.

Germany is one of three European powers negotiating with Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme.

 

Editor:Zhang Ning