TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) -- British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was in Tehran on Tuesday for talks which resulted in Iran agreeing to sign the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Following are excerpts of a brief statement he made at Mehrabad Airport shortly after his arrival.

“I’m glad to be here in Tehran. This is the fifth visit that I’ve made to Tehran in the last two and half years. “I’ll be meeting my colleagues Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister, and Joschka Fischer, the German foreign minister, early tomorrow morning, and then we are looking forward to meetings later in the morning with our colleague Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, with Mr. Rowhani, and with His Excellency President Khatami. And, as you’ll be aware, there’ll be a press conference, I think at around lunchtime tomorrow. Thank you very much.” In reply to a reporter’s question, he said, “We’re here to discuss the implementation of the International Atomic Energy Agency resolution. You’ll forgive me for not going into further detail at this time in the morning.” Answering another reporter’s question, he said, “Discussions which I’ve had over the past two and half years in Tehran, in London, and elsewhere with Kamal Kharrazi and other members of the Iranian government have been constructive, even if they’ve sometimes been tough. I can’t make judgments about the public opinion in Iran. I have respect for the Iranian people. That is a matter for the people of Iran.”