Israeli Envoy Criticises Meeting Between Araghchi and UN Official
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, reacted on Monday in a social media post to a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and a UN official, seeking to cast doubt on the encounter.
Referring to Araghchi’s meeting with Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, he claimed to question whether the conduct of Iran’s ruling system was also discussed.
The reaction came as Iranian media reported that the Iranian delegation’s presence on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly had been accompanied by more diplomatic meetings. According to those reports, Abbas Araghchi met and spoke with Fletcher in New York on Saturday evening.
Earlier, the Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth also reported on the difference between the diplomatic activity of Iran and Israel during the UN General Assembly meetings. The paper said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip drew attention mainly because several delegations walked out when he began speaking, as well as because of the limited number of his political meetings.
According to the newspaper, during his trip to New York, Araghchi met with representatives of at least 24 countries, including the foreign ministers of several European powers. By contrast, Netanyahu met with only nine leaders on the sidelines of the event.
The UN General Assembly is held each year at the organisation’s headquarters in New York and is considered one of the most important venues for diplomatic consultations between countries. Side meetings by officials at the assembly are also usually tracked as an indicator of a country’s level of diplomatic activity.
