Rose is Ambassador to Iran

Ambassador Dexter Rose, this country’s Ambassador to Cuba, will be the non-resident Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Foreign Minister Sir Louis Straker has announced.{{more}}

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, where he was reporting on the 15th Ministerial Conference of the 118-member country strong Non Aligned Movement (NAM), held last week in Tehran, Iran, Sir Louis announced Rose’s appointment as part of this country’s move towards establishing formal ties with the controversial Islamic state.

The Iranian Ambassador to Cuba, Abdolmajid Mozafari, will serve as his country’s non-resident ambassador to this country.

Sir Louis announced a six-point agreement which was reached between the two countries, following talks held during while at the conference.

These points include support for the Argyle International Airport, a US$7 million grant and the establishment of greater trade and investment ties, including exploration of the possibility of exporting Vincentian agricultural products to Iran, and the export of Iranian goods to St Vincent and the Grenadines.

At the NAM conference, several social, political and economic matters were discussed. Among them were: terrorism, HIV/AIDS, drug trafficking, the US embargo against Cuba, food security and the Venezuela/Guyana territorial disputes.

The NAM also issued statements/declarations on the volatile political situation in Zimbabwe and Iran’s right to pursue and develop atomic energy for peaceful purposes, among other things.

During his address to the NAM, Sir Louis described St Vincent and the Grenadines as quintessentially non-aligned.

“Our dynamic foreign policy is rooted in both principle and pragmatism, and beholden not to any nation, but to the interests, needs and desires of our citizens,” he said.(KJ)