In a display of breathtaking bad timing, the leader of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats EPP/ED (yes that includes the Tory MEPs) Hans-Gert Poettering happened to be in Tehran on Sunday. Not only that. He was meeting up with bigwigs such as Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.

And what did they talk about?

Well according to the Iranian news service Payvand, Kharrazi “noted that injustice is considered as the root cause of terrorism in the region which is spread to Europe.” He also “criticized the efforts underway to deprive Iran from its legitimate rights to obtain peaceful nuclear technology. ‘Israel is not a signatory to NPT [the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] and does not allow the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspectors to inspect, having variety of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), including the arsenal of the biological and nuclear weapons. However, Iran, that is a member of NPT and calls for a WMD free region with the IAEA inspectors watching its facilities repeatedly, is doomed to be deprived of its legitimate rights.’”

And what did the great Euro statesman have to say?

He “briefed Kharrazi on the activities and stances of the Conservative Group of European Parliament.” Poettering said he was visiting Iran “to get better and more realistic account of the ongoing events in the world of Islam, especially in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He added: “We are for dialogue and collaboration among different civilizations but against confrontation among them.” Oh and he tried to make cash as he is “eager to improve trade relations”  – with a hostile nation.
 
The day before the Iranians restarted their nuclear march Poettering was allowing them a PR coup. Even his own press release shows by its vacuity the lack of spine. Worse, describing Akbar Ganji as an “arrested politician” rather than as a journalist shows horrifying ignorance of the situation in the benighted country of the Persians.