Bertie Ahern to meet with government officials in Iran

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern is in Iran this week and is due to give a speech about economic developments in Europe to a foreign policy thinktank in the Islamic republic.

It is also expected that Mr Ahern will meet with Iranian government officials during his stay, diplomatic sources told the Irish Examiner yesterday.

Mr Ahern is the second former EU prime minister to visit Tehran in recent weeks as the country continues a charm offensive with western countries on the back of a temporary nuclear peace deal. Former Italian prime minister Massimo D’Alema visited in December.