Polish deputy FM in Tehran over conference row

Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Maciej Lang met in Tehran on Monday with his Iranian counterpart in an effort to solve a dispute over a conference his country is to host.

Lang described as “constructive” his talks with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the jointly organized conference with the United States on peace and security in the Middle East.

“We spoke about a wide range of issues, including misunderstandings about the Warsaw conference, and

I presented our point of view on this issue. We had a long discussion and I hope that I did it in a clear way,” Lang told AFP in an interview.

“For Poland this conference is not against any country,” he said.

The summit had first been announced on January 11 by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said that it “includes an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence” in the region.

The Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement the reasons provided by the Polish government for co-organizing the summit were unacceptable and that the Poles “must be mindful of the consequences”.

The Islamic republic would not allow any country in or outside the region “to build coalitions against its interests”, the statement said.

Lang expressed hopes that the conference would have a positive impact on relations with Iran.