By IANS,
Arbil (Iraq) : The new US administration has been urged by Iran to release the Iranian diplomats held in Iraq as the first step to realise “change” promised by President Barack Obama, Mehr News reported.
“American officials (should) release Iranian diplomats as the first move toward realising the �change slogan’ by the new US administration,” Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said while reopening the Iranian consulate in Arbil Thursday.
US forces broke into the Iranian consulate in Iraq’s Kurdish city of Arbil Jan 11, 2007, and detained three Iranian diplomats.
“This place reminds us of good and bad memories,” said Mottaki in the presence of Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.
The Iranian foreign minister said the US troops attacked the Iranian consulate and “kidnapped” Iranian diplomats.
Mottaki asked Iraqi officials to make serious efforts for immediate release of the Iranian nationals.
Zebari said Iraq would make all efforts to help free Iranian diplomats.
He added that his government has written letters to US officials asking them to free the diplomats.