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With Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, the Iranian embassy in Berlin will have a Western Europe expert as its new head. The 55-year-old diplomat will be sworn in by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier next week (24th of March). Nili was Iranian ambassador to Norway from 2013 to 2016. He then served as advisor to the Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe and America. Between 2017 and 2022, he led Department I for Western Europe, which includes the DACH countries - Germany, Austria, Switzerland. Before leaving for Germany, he was Assistant to the Foreign Minister and Director General for Western Europe for two and a half years.

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In his own words, the new ambassador wants to pay particular attention to consular services for his compatriots in Germany. According to a statement on the website of the Iranian Embassy in Berlin, the closure of the three Iranian Consulates General was the result of “unprofessional and wrong decisions” and had led to problems for thousands of Iranians. The Federal Government closed the offices in Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt in autumn last year following the execution of German-Iranian Jamid Sharmahd. Around 300,000 people of Iranian origin live in Germany.

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German-Iranian relations have been tense for years due to the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic, the stance on Israel and the nuclear program. The new ambassador emphasized that he wanted to further develop diplomatic relations dating back over 150 years. They are a valuable asset and diplomacy plays a key role in overcoming obstacles in today's world.

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Nili's predecessor Mahmoud Farazandeh had led the embassy since 2019. gd

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