The foreign ministry in Norway has announced it intends to resume full diplomatic relations with Iran.

Norway withdrew its ambassador three years ago, in protest at the religious edict agains the British writer, Salman Rushdie.

A statement issued following a meeting between foreign ministry officials said Norway was ready to appoint a new ambassador, following guarantees from Iran that its government would not support any steps to carry out the death order.

Iran is considering a similar upgrading of diplomatic relations.

One of the BBC's Iran specialists say Norway has kept the Rushdie affair very high on its political agenda, even after other European states began actively courting Tehran.