Miliband regrets 'inexplicable' Iran snub

Thursday, 28 January 2010 12:00 AM

By Alex Stevenson

Iran's refusal to send representatives to the London conference on Afghanistan is "inexplicable", David Miliband has said.

The foreign secretary's comments came after he spent the day chairing the conference which had been boycotted by Iran.

"I think it's very important in international relations that countries say what they mean and mean what they say," he told the summit's press conference.

"I think their failure to attend the conference means many countries in the region and beyond will draw their own conclusions about the dissonance between the words and the deeds.

"They are not the victims of other peoples' conspiracy; they are the authors of their own misfortune."

The British government had been hoping to persuade Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, to participate in the London summit.

As recently as two days ago government insiders were reporting the Iranians were sending mixed signals on their intentions towards the conference. Britain, seeking to persuade them to attend, invited them to join the core group drafting the communiqué.

Yesterday officials in No 10 said Mr Mottaki would not be attending but expressed hopes that another Iranian representative might take his place.

And today the Iranian seat in Lancaster House remained empty, leaving a key player in the region isolated and frustrating Britain's efforts to secure diplomatic progress between Iran and Afghanistan.

"Senior representatives from all of Afghanistan's neighbours and the wider international community are attending, but despite their professed interest in contributing to regional solutions to Afghanistan's challenges Iran has chosen to isolate itself from this event," a Foreign Office spokesperson said earlier.

"Iran's decision will disappoint the more than 70 countries and international organisations that are attending. It's a missed opportunity for them."

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