Head of Belgian Senate Cancels Talks with Iranians in Handshake Row

RTBF Radio 1, Monsters and Critics:

A meeting with an Iranian parliamentary delegation at the Senate planned for today has been cancelled, as was a dinner at the House [of Representatives] planned for tomorrow. The reason is the refusal of the president of the Iranian assembly to shake hands with a woman, in this case the president of the Senate, Anne-Marie Lizin. At the House, it was the delegation's refusal to attend a dinner where wine was going to be served which caused a stir. READ MORE

Bertrand Henne reports:

[Henne] When the president of the Iranian assembly told the president of the House that he didn't want to drink any wine, the request was accepted easily, but when he told Herman De Croo that there should be no alcohol at all at the dinner, the affair turned sour.

[De Croo] The delegation didn't want other people, for example myself or Belgian members of parliament, to drink wine at the table at all. I found this a bit much, and I said that I was unable to guarantee this. If somebody in the Belgian delegation wanted to drink a glass of wine with the meal which we were going to have together, I wasn't going to forbid it, after all. So they preferred not to have this dinner.

[Henne] The result is that the dinner was cancelled. In the Senate, the affair was less of an anecdote. The Iranian delegation refused to shake hands with Anne-Marie Lizin because she is a woman. The reception was cancelled.

[Lizin] I think this expresses a willingness not to respect our customs. These customs and laws include equality between men and women, and thus equal treatment while welcoming people, too.

[Henne] There was also a little incident with Mr De Croo. He had to cancel his dinner. How do you interpret the attitude of somebody who puts up so many obstacles to being welcomed?

[Lizin] Intransigence and a poor assessment of their situation.

[Henne] Herman De Croo will just have talks with the delegation, without dinner, without wine, and without shaking hands with a woman.

Source: RTBF Radio 1, Brussels, in French 1600 gmt 30 Jun 05