TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi has said that relations between Iran and Britain will remain at the level of charge d’affaires after reopening of the embassies.

The countries’ ties are supposed to be changed from non-resident charge d’affaires to resident charge d’affaires after reopening of the embassies, he told reporters on Saturday.

He noted that British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond plans to visit Tehran at the head of a political-economic delegation on Sunday to reopen Britain’s embassy.

Takht-Ravanchi added that reopening of Iran’s embassy in Britain will be done with the presence of Mehdi Danesh-Yazdi, the Iranian deputy foreign minister for administrative and financial affairs.

Diplomatic visa will be issued when the embassies start working, he said.

Issuance of regular visa for passengers will be resumed after completion of the Britain’s consular staff which will take some months, he added.

Iran and Britain severed their diplomatic ties in November 2011. The British embassy was closed after hundreds of Iranian university students staged a protest, pulling down the UK flag and demanding the expulsion of the British ambassador.

Iran and Britain appointed non-resident chargés d’affaires in October 2013 as a first step toward resuming diplomatic ties.

NA