THREE SNP politicians who took part in a trade delegation to Iran have hailed the visit as a “hugely positive initiative, which could have profound and beneficial outcomes for Scotland”.
Alex Salmond, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, and Bill Kidd were joined by members of the Muslim Council for Scotland for the four-day visit.
In a statement released last night the party said they had secured agreement “for an exchange of full trade delegations this spring, a proposal for progress on human rights from foreign minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif and an agreement that Iranian MPs will join the international parliamentary campaign for nuclear disarmament.”
Salmond said the delegation had been received at the “highest level”.
“We met the full range of government ministers and parliamentarians at the highest level, including foreign affairs minister Dr Zarif and speaker of the Parliament Dr Ali Larijani. There is the fullest wish to begin a new era of co-operation between Scotland and Iran.
“This will include key economic initiatives, but also cultural and educational exchanges. The immediate follow-up to this mission shall be an exchange of trade delegations in the spring.
“The key areas where Scottish expertise can be invaluable to Iran include oil and gas, finance and education.
“In summary I cannot overstate the welcome that we received and the high regard in which Scotland is held. We have before us a tremendous opportunity and we should seize it with both hands.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here