EAST Hampshire MP Damian Hinds has accompanied Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to Tehran as part of a mission to re-open the British Embassy in Iran.

This was the first visit to Iran by a British foreign secretary since 2003, and came four years after an attack by violent protesters closed the embassy in 2011. Mr Hinds was there in his role as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, heading up a small trade delegation, intent on discussing possible future trade opportunities following July’s historic nuclear agreement, which could lead to the lifting of sanctions.

Mr Hammond is quoted as saying that the re-opening of the British Embassy in Tehran, and the simultaneous re-opening of the Iranian Embassy in London, was “a key step to improved bilateral relations”.

In the first instance, he said, it would be necessary to ensure that the nuclear agreement was a success, and this would include the encouragement of trade and investment once sanctions are lifted.

And Britain and Iran should also be ready to discuss the challenges they both face, such as “terrorism, regional stability, the spread of ISIL in Syria and Iraq, counter narcotics and migration”.

He continued: “This move does not mean that we agree on everything.

“But it is right that Britain and Iran should have a presence in each other’s countries.

“The role of embassies is to build co-operation where we agree and to reduce our differences where we don’t.”

In his talks with the head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Mohsen Jalalpour, Mr Hinds heard that, at the moment, oil and energy were not the top priority in Iran’s economy and that there was more appet-ite to expand business in such fields as tourism, the knowledge-based sector, pharmaceuticals and life-science companies.

Mr Jalalpour felt that Britain should make great efforts “so that this sceptical mindset of Iranian businessmen would change.”

A report on the meeting states, that for his part, Mr Hinds had stressed that the revival of the two countries’ relations was one of the British Government’s priorities, saying that despite sanctions, holding such meetings would be highly effective and constructive for the future of bilateral relations.

He is quoted as saying: “Iran and Britain can be good business partners.

“We would not consider Iran as a source providing us benefits unilaterally; rather our main objective for this visit is to find potential grounds for bilateral cooperation so that we can send a big trade delegation to Iran by the end of 2015.”

Mr Hinds was accompanied by senior officials from the UK Trade and Investment organisation, the British Bankers’ Association, the Institute of Directors and The Confederation of British Industry.