Blanar: I Expected Retaliatory Steps by Iran

Denpasar, 2 February (TASR-correspondent) - Responding to the inclusion of the armies of EU countries on Iran's list of terrorist organisations, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) has said that he'd expected that Tehran would make such a move. The head of Slovak diplomacy made this statement during his visit to Indonesia, where he opened Slovakia's Honorary Consulate in Bali on Monday, a special TASR correspondent reported on the same day. Iran included EU armed forces on its list of terrorist organisations following last week's meeting of EU foreign ministers, who agreed to classify Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation in response to its role in suppressing the recent nationwide protests in the country. Blanar stressed that he'd warned of the need to consider all the consequences of placing the IRGC on the list of terrorist organisations, given that the Guards are embedded across all levels of Iranian society and exert influence over the functioning of the state and its economy. "Of course, we condemn the violent suppression of the protests that took place in Iran, but I pointed out that this is a sensitive issue. Nevertheless, I agreed, as we need to make an appropriate response," said Blanar. "I expected the Iranian side to take such retaliatory action, but I firmly believe that the situation in Iran will not escalate and that the United States of America will not resort to using force," he stressed. At the same time, the minister expressed his hope that a diplomatic solution and agreement will be reached regarding Iran, providing normal communication between Iran, the EU, the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The head of Slovak diplomacy noted that Slovakia has temporarily relocated its embassy in Tehran to neighbouring Azerbaijan in order to ensure the safety of its staff. ko/df