Foreign ministers from G8 countries have “deplored” the post-election violence in Iran and called on the authorities to respect human rights.However, their statement falls short of the strong condemnation that the host Italy and France had wanted to see. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, warned against isolating Iran. The joint statement said “we express our solidarity with those who have suffered repression while peacefully demonstrating [in Iran]”. They also said the door to dialogue with Iran must remain open.
