France has announced it will summon the Iranian ambassador to Paris in response to the closure of a French language centre in Tehran, according to a statement from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The centre, which had been operating in Tehran for several years, was shut down by Iranian authorities earlier this week. Iran has accused the French institution of carrying out “illegal acts that violated diplomatic conventions,” a claim that the French government has described as unfounded.
“Iran accuses the French language centre of conducting illegal acts that violated diplomatic conventions,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In a move to address the dispute, France will summon the Iranian envoy to discuss the circumstances surrounding the closure and to seek a resolution. The French Foreign Ministry said it will also review the status of other French cultural and educational establishments in Iran.
French language centres abroad are part of the French Institute network, which promotes French culture, language and education worldwide. The closure of the Tehran centre has raised concerns about the future of French cultural diplomacy in the region.
<small>Source: Al Jazeera — read the original story there.</small>
