21/05/24 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 20 May, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, offered their condolences for the deaths of the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, among others, in a helicopter accident. “The EU expresses its sympathies to the families of all the victims and to the Iranian citizens affected”, stressed Mr Borrell in a statement, while on X, Mr Michel said that his thoughts were with the families. When questioned by journalists about the reasons for the condolences, given the President’s role in human rights violations in Iran, Mr Michel’s spokeswoman pointed out that expressing condolences was standard practice. “The message of condolence for an untimely death is part of this common international practice”, she added. (CG)