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By Nigar Abbasova

The UK and Iran have recently exchanged ambassadors for the first time since 2011, which was assessed as a sign of warming relations between the two countries.

Nicholas Hopton, previously British Chargé d’affaires in Tehran, was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador, while Hamid Baeidinejad, who earlier acted as director-general for political and international affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, was appointed as a new Iranian Ambassador to London.

“The upgrade in diplomatic relations gives us the opportunity to develop our discussions on a range of issues, including our consular cases about which I am deeply concerned, and which I have raised with Foreign Minister Zarif,” the newly appointed British ambassador said.

London broke off relations with Tehran, shut down its embassy and withdrew diplomatic staff in late 2011, when Iranian students stormed the British embassy in anger at Britain's backing of sanctions against Iran, pulling down the UK flag and demanding the expulsion of the British ambassador.

Nearly two years after their diplomatic ties were severed, Iran and Britain agreed to appoint non-resident chargés d’affaires as a first step toward reestablishment of their ties.

The two countries began reestablishing diplomatic relations in 2015 and reopened their embassies in each other’s respective capitals, all affairs, however, have been so far managed by charges d’affaires.

Iran, which has recently reentered the world stage, following years of sanctions is currently seeking to revive its energy sector by means of cooperating with major European companies.

Mehr agency earlier reported that National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and British Petroleum (BP), one of the world’s seven giant oil and gas companies have launched talks on inking an oil sale agreement. NIOC’s Executive Director for International Affairs confirmed the talks saying “in case of reaching an agreement, crude will be sold to BP to supply one of its refineries in South Africa or in other parts of the world.”

Moreover, Deputy Oil Minister Rokneddin Javadi said that BP voiced readiness to invest in Iranian projects.

He said that BP “seeks new gateways of cooperation and is aimed at transferring data and knowledge to the Islamic Republic”.

NIOC and BP launched cooperation worth some $656 million on producing gas at the Rhum offshore gas field in Scotland in 2002, where daily production was estimated at 190 million cubic meters (mcm), however operations were halted in 2010, after introduction of the sanctions.

Britain was one of the first nations to send diplomats to Iran after the July 2015 signing of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers in Vienna.

In a telephone conversation between incumbent British Prime Minister Theresa May and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on August 9, the two sides said mutual relations have developed positively since the signing of the JCPOA and that both sides should continue to advance the relationship, Press TV reported.

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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

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