Talks with Argentina constructive: Iran

Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has described as ‘very constructive’ his recent meeting with his Argentinean counterpart Hector Timerman over the AMIA case.

“The meeting with Mr. Timerman to achieve [results] and make progress in the legal proceedings for the AMIA [Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina or Argentine Israelite Mutual Association case] was very constructive and I hope that the issue will continue to make progress and yield good results,” Salehi told reporters on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said resolving the issues pertaining to the AMIA case, a 1994 bombing attack in Argentina, was the main focus of the meeting held in the Swiss city of Zurich on January 3.

Mehmanparast said the talks were carried out in a friendly and constructive atmosphere, stressing that Tehran welcomes the continuation of the talks and hopes the negotiations will bear a favorable result that is acceptable by both countries.

A press communiqué released by the Argentinean Foreign Ministry on Monday also considered the meeting as “highly productive,” saying that progress was being made with Iran regarding the legal proceedings of the case.

Under intense political pressure imposed by the US and Israel, Argentina formally accused Iran of having carried out the 1994 bombing attack on the AMIA. The attack on the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires killed 85 people and wounded 300 others.

The Islamic Republic has vehemently and consistently denied any involvement in the terror bombing.

Salehi and Timerman had agreed during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2012 that both sides would continue discussions over the case until a mutual agreement is reached.

AR/PKH/HJL