Iran summons Polish diplomat over planned Middle East conference

Poland and the United States are jointly organising a conference in Warsaw on February 13 and 14 to focus on stability and security in the Middle East, including the “important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilising influence,” according to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

An Iranian foreign ministry official told Poland’s charge d’affaires in Tehran that Iran saw the decision to host the meeting as a “hostile act against Iran” and warned that Tehran could reciprocate, the Reuters news agency reported on Sunday, citing Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

Meanwhile, the Polish foreign ministry said on Sunday that “the international community has the right to discuss various regional and global issues, and Poland [has the right] to co-organise a conference whose goal is to develop a platform for actions promoting stability and prosperity in the Middle East region.”

According to a joint Polish-US statement cited by the foreign ministry in Warsaw, February's “Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East” aims to be "a forum for countries concerned about instability in the region to share their assessments and offer ideas on a better way forward.

"The ministerial will address a range of critical issues including terrorism and extremism, missile development and proliferation, maritime trade and security, and threats posed by proxy groups across the region."

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR/PAP, Reuters, msz.gov.pl