Dinner Between French and Iranian Presidents Cancelled

A state dinner between French President Francois Hollande and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, scheduled for January 28 during Rouhani’s visit to Paris, was cancelled after Hollande refused to remove wine from the dinner menu. Rouhani was visiting Paris as part of a tour around Europe meant to advocate for Iran’s nuclear deal. This trip highlighted improving Iranian-European relations following the removal of economic sanctions against Iran. According to The Independent, the dinner controversy first arose after the Iranian delegation requested a halal meal in order to abide by Muslim principles that forbid the consumption of alcohol. The French, however, refused to give in to the Iranian delegation’s demands, as they consider such a decision to be in conflict with French traditions and values. Instead, the French offered to provide a breakfast to make up for the cancelled dinner. The Iranians turned down this new proposal, saying that this meal was “too cheap.”

This is not the first time a meal has been cancelled between French and Iranian delegations. During Rouhani’s visit to France last November, a similar dispute took place. In spite of this dispute, Iranian-French relations appear to have emerged unscathed. Last week, Peugeot-Citroen signed a deal with Iran’s Khodro with a goal to produce 200,000 cars. The deal is worth $436 million over the next five years. This could initiate a new series of negotiations between the two countries, and provide fertile ground for further business accords.