CLICK PLAY VISION OF IRAN VIDEO

Seal of the Foreign Ministry

THE FOREIGN MINISTRY

AMBASSADOR

NOGHREhKAR SHIRAZI

AMBASSADOR TO Vienna 1992-2000, OSLO 2000-2004

Iran’s Ambassador to Oslo and former Governor of Shiraz, His Excellency Noghrehkar Shirazi is seen here leaving the Head-quarters of the National Iranian Oil Company NIOC after the completion of the last meeting on minister level between Norway and Iran in May 2003.

Shortly after, due to the Statoil bribery case, the relation between the two parties soured . Although the period of Ambassador Shirazi was a good one and the bilateral trade was strengthened, it ended on a sour note. Photo C)2003 Harald Dahle-Sladek

Last Minister meeting National Iranian Oil Company NIOC

May 27, 2003

The Iranian side to the right, Norwegian side to the left. From right to left, Mr Talebian Head of the NIOC Protocol Departrment, woman in black speaker for Minister of oil Mr. Zangeneh, Mr, Zangeneh as number three, and Ambassador Noghrehkar Shirazias number four. Photo(C)2003 Harald Dahle-Sladek

The Iranian Embassy Oslo, 2002

November 9, 2002. Producer, director of the Vision of Iran dialogue films Harald Dahle to the left is seen here with Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani center, later Ambassador to Paris, and Ambassador Noghrekar Shirazi in thge first floor reception room in the Iranian Embassy in Oslo. Harald Dahle was part of the Persian Carpet seismic project (PC2000) from 1998-2003 which mapped the coast of Iran with six seismic vessels from Hendijan in the North to the Oman Sea in the South.

Ambassador Noghrehkar Shirazi, right, proudly displays the DVD video cassette containing the Vision of Iran filmed dialogue talks that Harald Dahle had in done in Tehran. Shirazi to Dahle, "Maybe you do the work that the Norwegian Foreign Department should have done twenty years ago!" Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani center. Photo by Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Rezvani.

HE Noghrehkar Shirazi

TEHRAN'S AMBASSADOR TO OSLO 2000-2004

Interviewed December 8, 2003 in the Iranian Embassy Oslo

 Harald Dahle-Sladek

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief: Before you came to Oslo in 2000, you had been Ambassador to Vienna in Austria, right?

Ambassador Shirazi: Yes, I was Ambasador for two periods, eight years, and both of my children were borne in Vienna. The time there was a happy time filled with good memories. We have three Iranian Ambassadors to Vienna. One at the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, one at the United Nations and one at the Embassy.

Editor-in-Chief: Ambassador Shirazi, regarding Oslo, why have the rules for dialogue between the Iranian Embassy and the Norwegian Government been changed. According to Mr. Rezvani, your Deputy Head of Mission, I understand that such an agreement recently has been taking place?

Ambassador Shirazi: The Norwegian Government wants that negotiations between the two sides shall not include third party, in other words only direct negotiations is possible.

Editor-in-Chief: Yes, but clearly the way dialogue has taken place up til now did function very satisfactory for both sides for many years, so why this sudden demand for a change?

Ambassador Shirazi: The other side did not see it that way. One wanted to be sure that information and point of views only reached the negotiating parties. We have no objections to that, although we found the new arrangement somewhat unnecessary and limiting. We believe that an open and free dialogue give the best result.

Editor-in-Chief: How do you view the situation for Iran at the present moment?

Ambassador Shirazi: I am deeply concerned.

Editor-in-Chief: Why is that?

Ambassador Shirazi: The threat of an attack from the Jewish State; the situation for the people of Palestine and the growing tensions between the United States and Iran. Alle these elements together create an atmosphere of uncertainty.

Editor-in-Chief: What about the Norway-Iran relations? They also seem a tad gloomy at the moment.

Ambassador Shirazi: The Nobel Peace Prize to Shirin Ebadi is viewed as a destabilizing factor between the two sides. We don't like the present development. It ads to a year long dissatisfaction between the Norwegian Foreign Department in Oslo and our own Foreign Ministry in Tehran. Oslo wanted to play on both sides of the street, have good contacts with opposition groups to Iran, and at the same time develop a good relation with Tehran. Naturally, we are not very happy about this. But now we see an opportunity to mend old ties and develop strong relations, and we are eager to do just that.

Editor-in-Chief: We had a meeting on July 7, and on July 9 this year the Iranian Embassy, were we are sitting right now, was attacked by people hostile to the present regime. Could you please tell us what happened?

Ambassador Shirazi: They tried to break through the front door and almost succeeded in doing that. It was terrible, they shouted nasty words towards me. The police came and treated the mob as friends. One policeman put his arm around one of the angry demonstrators just as a father would do to his daughter. The protection of our Embassy was laughable, and we have filed a protest. Also, we have film of the whole break in. By now our front door has been much strengthened. The mood in the Embassy was gloomy and we seriously considered to call everything off. As you know, I have a weak heart and was brought to hospital for a short period.

Editor-in-Chief: On July 2, Your Excellency, Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Rezvani and myself had meeting were we discussed the negative response of the Norwegian Foreign Department to my work in the Islamic Republic. Would you care to make a comment on why there is such a negative attitude?

Ambassador Shirazi: They observe that you run faster than them and manage to get in on a high level, and this angers them enorm-ously, it seems.

Editor-in-Chief: On November 19 last year, there was a dinner here in the Embassy were Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani with two other representatives from the Foreign Ministry in Tehran was present, together with yourself Ambassador Shirazi, and Mr. Rezvani. I was also invited. My Vision of Iran Dialogue Films came up as a subject. Could you, Ambassador Shirazi be so kind and to tell us what kind of vision you see for the people of Iran?

Ambassador Shirazi: I hope that the relations between Norway and Iran will increase. Both people want peace and prosperity, and I seriously believe that Norway can contribute to a better situation for our people, especially in the oil and gas sector, but also in other areas such a food, agriculture and technology. This is the start of a marriage and there are lots of opportunities for both sides.

Editor-in-Chief: Thank you Ambassador Shirazi.



Foreign Ministry Tehran