Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi
here on Monday said that an official date for President Mohammad
Khatami's visit to Belgium has not been set, IRNA reported from Tehran.
Addressing domestic and foreign reporters, he said President
Khatami has been invited to visit Belgium by its prime minister.
However, he said the date is still to be fixed by diplomatic
channels, and rejected unfounded rumors there are official problems.
On Iran-Canada relations in the aftermath of the Zahra Kazemi
case, he said relations remain good and that the staff of the Canadian
Embassy in Tehran are in contact with the Iranian Foreign Ministry on
the case.
On the presence of the Iranian ambassador to Canada in Tehran,
Asefi said the ambassador is on leave and will return to his mission
as soon as his leave is over.
Several Iranian ambassador are currently in Tehran to attend
the yearly meeting of Iranian envoys stationed abroad, he added.
An Iranian-born freelance photojournalist, Zahra Kazemi, working
for Canada's Camera Press journal, died from brain hemorrhage in a
Tehran hospital on July 11.
She was arrested while taking prohibited photos from Evin Prison
on June 23. During interrogation, she complained of poor health
and was taken to hospital three days later.
... Payvand News - 7/28/03 ... --
