Iran: Albania has no Tehran embassy, retaliatory measure not doable

Since Albania does not have an embassy in Iran, it is not possible to make a diplomatic move in retaliation for the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats from Tirana, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

According to Tasnim news agency, asked why Iran’s Foreign Ministry has not taken retaliatory action after Albania’s move to expel Iranian diplomats from Tirana, Bahram Qassemi said on Saturday, “We conveyed our protest to Albania on Thursday via appropriate channels, but the Albanian government has no embassy, office or diplomatic center in Iran. Therefore, it was not possible for us to summon an Albanian ambassador or representative in Tehran to expel them or voice protest, and we expressed our strong protest through other channels.”

The spokesman said while Iran opened an embassy in Albania after internal developments in the southeast European country in the 1990s, Albania has not been able to open an embassy in Tehran because it is a very small country and has been suffering from poor economic conditions.

“Countries consider various grounds and issues, including financial and economic ones, before opening an embassy or other consular or economic offices (in the other states),” Qassemi added.

His comments came after Albania expelled two Iranian diplomats for what it called “damaging its national security.”  

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned Albania’s “unjustifiable” move as a foreign scenario made under pressure from the US and the Israeli regime.

ME