An Iranian Politician in Prague

Iranian politician Alaaddin Borujerdi, chairman of the Iranian parliament foreign committee, has arrived in Prague for a meeting to discuss diplomatic relations between the Czech Republic and Iran. Borujerdi met with Foreign Minister Karel Sschwarzenberg yesterday, and according to the Czech Foreign Ministry, talks have already started on mutual representation by ambassadors.

The Czech meeting is a big step towards European dialogue with Iran, and despite disagreements on both sides, both countries are eager for diplomatic solutions to problems, rather than military involvement. Iran primarily objects to American plans for a missile defence system based in the Czech Republic and Poland, fearing that it will create a new Cold War due to Russia's strong disapproval of the plan. Borujerdi also commented that the United States is more of a dictatorship than Iran, and insisted that Iran is a peace-loving nation and is willing to cooperate with inspectors concerning its nuclear activities. Meanwhile, some Czech politicians have criticized the meeting with the Iranian politician, and have cited Iran's human rights abuses and dubious nuclear intentions, as well as Borujerdi's reluctance to fault Iran's policies or President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial statements. However, though complete agreement will not likely be reached, the dialogue continues, and will hopefully be constructive for both nations.