Some view him as having the most unenviable job in the local diplomatic circuit. Before Abdollah Nekounam can extol the benefits of closer co-operation between Hong Kong and Iran, he is pressed on the matter of tensions that, to many, seem so distant from southern China.
For Mr Nekounam's counterparts representing other countries, national days give them an opportunity to highlight the cultural and economic virtues of their homeland. Thorny issues are usually addressed through the art of diplomacy, but the Iranian consul general to Hong Kong sees this as a quest to be taken seriously.
As the United Nations considers imposing new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, Mr Nekounam and his colleagues insist that the enrichment of uranium is solely for peaceful purposes.
'Working out simple and easy compromises is not an art. Diplomacy requires you to understand these differences. The important thing is to see the wider issue - whatever is in the news or written in headlines, and what has been achieved or not by the other side,' he said.
The 'other side' refers to the United States and the years of tension with Iran since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979 and the establishment of an Islamic republic. Due to the Lunar New Year, Iran's national day for its diplomatic missions in China has been brought forward from February11 to today. The timing also reflects Iran's eagerness to expedite and strengthen ties in the region. Speaking before the threatened fresh wave of UN sanctions, Mr Nekounam was asked if he detected any irony in how Iran was reaching out to the world to enhance economic and cultural ties while the US administration had it painted as an international pariah.
'I am glad to see that with respect to the nuclear issue ... we can see that Iran is in a very positive position at the moment. Most particularly, after the release of the US National Intelligence Estimate, this position has been more transparent,' he said, referring to the official report which said Iran had abandoned its nuclear weapons drive in 2003.
