Italy's foreign minister cancels trip to Iran

Italy's foreign minister cancelled a trip to Iran on Wednesday after Tehran demanded that he meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in northern Semnan province just after Iran launched a missile there.

Italy's foreign ministry said in a statement Franco Frattini did not accept Tehran's request and expressed his regret "over a missed opportunity to explore the possibility of involving Iran in the stabilisation of Afghanistan and Pakistan".

Frattini had been due to fly to Tehran on Wednesday for a two-day visit, which would have made him the most senior official from a European government to visit since Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana visited Iran last year.