August 24, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 25

TEHRAN, Aug 23: Iran is cutting its cultural and economic ties with Argentina because of the arrest in Britain of a former ambassador to Argentina in connection with a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires, state television said on Saturday.

Ex-envoy Hadi Soleimanpour, 47, was arrested in Britain on Thursday after Argentina requested his extradition in connection with the AMIA Jewish Community Center blast that killed 85 people in Buenos Aires. He was ambassador there at the time.

“Iran’s foreign ministry official in charge of the Americas desk announced Iran’s strong objection to the Argentinean judiciary’s measure and informed him (the Argentinean charge d’affaires) of Iran’s decision on halting cultural and economic cooperation with Argentina,” state television quoted Foreign Ministry official Mehdi Mohtashami as saying.

Argentina’s charge d’affaires in Tehran had no comment on the issue. Iranian Foreign Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.

Argentina has a charge d’affaires but no ambassador at its embassy in Tehran, the same level of representation as that of Iran in Buenos Aires.

Diplomats said the Iranian initiative could affect Argentinean exports to Iran, which include wheat, sunflower oil, rice and other basic foodstuffs.—Reuters/AFP