Newsletter No. 871
News-Analysis
January 10, 2008

 

CHANGE OF IRANIAN AMBASSADORS IN TOKYO

Ambassador Mohsen Talaei has often been mentioned in the Shingetsu Newsletter over the past couple of years, and so we must note that he is soon to be replaced. Talaei held a final meeting with Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura on the 8th, in which they reviewed the state of Japan-Iran relations. Unfortunately, no convincing details were reported.

Also, Talaei presided over an Iranian cultural festival that was held in the Ferdowsi Hall of the Iranian embassy on the previous evening. The festivities included the screening of a movie about Iranian customs and culture as well as a photographic exhibition about Iran's historical attractions. This is apparently an annual event.

The New Ambassador

We also know that Talaei’s replacement will be Seyyed Abbas Eraqchi (Araghchi), formerly Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs. We have mentioned Eraqchi three times previously. He appeared in Shingetsu Newsletter Nos. 303 and 372 during his June and August 2006 visits to Japan. At that time he was discussing the nuclear development issue with a MOFA official. Eraqchi was also in Tokyo in March 2007 meeting with then-Foreign Minister Taro Aso, as reported in Shingetsu Newsletter No. 551.

We may surmise, therefore, that the new Iranian envoy to Tokyo is someone who is very familiar with the Japanese position on the Iranian nuclear issue.

NO HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR THE NAKAMURA FAMILY

The Nakamura family had to enter the New Year still uncertain about the ultimate fate of young Satoshi Nakamura, the Yokohama National University student kidnapped near Bam last October. All reports agree that he is unharmed and being held by the Shahbakhsh Gang somewhere along the Iran-Pakistan border.

In the first week of December Senior Vice-Foreign Minister Itsunori Onodera made another trip to Tehran and later reported that he “got the impression” that progress on the negotiations was being made. He also emphasized to both the Iranian authorities and new Ambassador Akio Shirota that the priority was to keep Nakamura safe and do nothing rash.

The Asahi Shinbun recently gave a little more insight into what may be happening from the side of the Iranian government. While they are working for Nakamura’s safe release, they are also cautious about the Shahbakhsh Gang’s demands that they release some prisoners from jail.

It seems that President Ahmadinejad and other Iranian officials want to take a tough line on drug smuggling. Apparently, this “War on Drugs” policy in Iran is making it difficult for Iranian officials to accede to the demands of the Shahbakhsh Gang. Some argue that cutting a deal for Nakamura’s release would only encourage more hostage-taking.

I couldn’t help but smile as I read this; Americans and Iranians are more alike than either side realizes.

SAFFRON EXPORTS TO JAPAN

A small report in mid-December stated that Iran will soon start exporting saffron to the Japanese market. Iranian officials believe that the Japanese market has the capacity to absorb three hundred tons of saffron a year.

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus. It is the most expensive spice by weight in the world.