France snubs Iran’s request for alcohol-free dinner

A dinner between French president François Hollande and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has been scrapped after French officials apparently refused requests to refrain from serving wine.

French president François Hollande and US president Barack Obama raise a toast

The Iranian president had been due to attend a dinner at the Elysée Palace later this week. However a disagreement over whether wine would be served at the meal, and if any meat served would be halal, appears to have thrown the meeting off course, according to reports in the local.fr.

The English-speaking French newspaper reported that a meal had been planned but “fell through”, according to a source involved in French–Iranian affairs, adding that the leaders were missing out on “a great opportunity”.

Requests for halal meat and for wine to be left off the table is a common request by Iran, whose Muslim citizens are prohibited from consuming alcohol under law. It’s claimed this request was rejected by officials at the Elysée, who are said to have politely declined citing France’s “republican traditions”. French officials apparently suggested a breakfast meeting instead, which was apparently dismissed by the Iranians as being “too cheap”.

Rouhani is due to visit Italy and France from Saturday, becoming the first Iranian president to travel to Europe for a decade.