Iranian on ‘mission’

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 13

Iranian on ‘mission’

PA ‘ Wellington Relying on what the United Staes says about Iran is the same as relying on what the Soviet Union says about Afghanistan, according to Iran's Charge d'Affaires in Canberra, Mr Javad Yarjani. Mr Yarjani wants to present the ‘‘real picture" of Iranian people and their revolution. “People have been watching the world through American eyes and that will not give a proper picture of what, is happening in Iran,” he said. Mr Yarjani has been Charge d’Affaires at the embassy in Canberra since June last year and is visiting New Zealand for the first time. He has seen the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Maclntyre) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys). He says New Zealanders are in a better position than people in many Western countries to see “the other side of the coin." On the future of trade between New Zealand and Iran, Mr Yarjani said that although Iran was trying to increase its agricultural production. “We will never be

able to keep up with the increasing demand.” The demand would increase as a result of policies of the Iranian Government, which wanted to distribute Iran's wealth equally. "This will lead to an increase in the living standards of oppressed people and lead to a demand for luxury goods such as red meat,” he said. Commenting on how the ideals of Islam were translated into foreign policy, Mr Yarjani said that one of Islam's basic beliefs was submission to Allah, but not to the East or the West.

Since the overthrow of the Shah no Iranian ambassador has been appointed to either Australia and New Zealand. The last ambassador under the Shah, Dr Khosrow Akmal, fled Canberra and is believed to be living in California.