Iran's foreign minister skips meeting with French counterpart

Paris: Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki skipped a lunch meeting with his French counterpart on Saturday, a diplomat said.

Mottaki was scheduled to meet Bernard Kouchner ahead of Sunday's international talks on Afghanistan to be held near Paris, but did not explain his absence.

"The meeting was cancelled," the French diplomat said.

Iran summoned France's ambassador to protest what it said were "inappropriate remarks" by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Iranian state media reported on Thursday.

The move is the latest in what could be Iran's latest protest of French policy towards the Islamic Republic.

The French diplomat said it was unclear who would represent Iran at the one-day meeting of foreign ministers and senior officials from countries including Pakistan, China, the United States and Russia.