Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has criticized a Keyhan newspaper report which described the French president's wife as a "prostitute".
The Iranian Foreign Ministry does not agree with insulting a country’s officials, Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly press conference.
He was answering a question from an AFP correspondent about Keyhan newspaper's comments.
Mehmanparast advised the media to respect moral issues. ‘’The hostile policy of countries can be criticized, but inappropriate words should not be used to describe their officials,’’ he said.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki prefers to solve problems inside the government, the spokesman said. Foreign policy issues are clear, according to the Supreme Leader's comments.
The spokesman stressed the need to avoid duplication in foreign policy work among foreign ministry and presidential representatives.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei told government ministers “More important than political dynamism and diplomatic meetings here and there, the general spirit and direction of diplomacy should be paid attention to.”
Ramin Mehmanparast responded on media report of official comment on Armenian "genocide" and Turkish protests: "The news did not reflect the comments accurately and we have not change our position on this matter."
Previously Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Vice President Hamid Baghaei refuted the statement ascribed to him by some media and demanded a disclaimer, adding that his remarks were taken out of context and distorted by certain media outlets.
ILNA