IRAN EU TO INK FIRST TRADE AND CO-OPERATION AGREEMENT
By Safa Haeri at the EU HQ in Brussels
BRUSSELS 10 Sept. (IPS) Iran and the European Union started Monday crucial negotiations at the Union’s Head Quarters in Brussels that both sides said it coul open a new chapter in their relations.
Iran is also expected to sign its first Trade and Co-operation Agreement with the European Union, paving the way for more Iranian products reaching the vast European market.
Belgian and Iranian Foreign Ministers, Mr. Kamal Kharrazi and Mr. Louis Michel termed the negotiations as "very important" and hoped that it would open a "new, constructive era" in the strained Iran-EU relations.
The EU severed its relations with Tehran after a Berlin High Court condemned in April 11997 the Iranian ruling ayatollahs for their direct involvement in the assassination of Iranian dissidents inside and outside the country.
"The even is important as it marks the first official visit by an Iranian Foreign Minister to the European Union", Mr. Michel, who is the current Chairman of the 15-members Organisation, told journalists.
"We had very good meeting, very important discussions and we are very glad about the pragmatic approach of the European Union towards Iran, which is shaping now, showing that EU attaches as much importance to its relations with iran than Iran to the EU", responded a visibly impressed Kharrazi.
Informed sources at the EU told Iran press Service that improvement in Iran EU relations was spearheaded by Germany during Iranian President’s official visitto Berlin last year and afterward in talks held in Tehran between the two sides.
Mr. Kharrazi arrived Monday morning at Brussels, leading an important political and economic delegation and immediately started his meetings with his Belgian counterpart, the EU’s Foreign and Security Minister Xavier Solana and the organisation’s President Romano Prodi.
Michel said the aim of the present negotiations was to reinforce relations between Iran and the EU, adding that Iran was keen to ink the first Trade and Co-operation Agreement with the EU.
"We are obviously interested in accelerating our negotiations and for sure, further efforts must be accomplish on questions related to human right, asylum and immigration", Mr. Michel pointed out.
In their talks, the two sides also reviewed the situation in the war-torn Afghanistan, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, terrorism and drugs and arms of mass destruction proliferation.
Mr. Michel said he had invited the Iranian president Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami to visit the European Union and that he himself would go to Iran "if the situation is ripe and would permit", to sign the Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
"This visit is important as it could throw the basis for a revival of EU’s interests for Iran as an important partner", Mr. Michel added.
For his part, Kharrazi said considering Iran’s strategic location in the middle of two huge sources of energy in the one hand and a causeway between East and West and South and North, it can be an important partner for the European Union.
"In general, I’m very happy with this visit. We had comprehensive talks on different issues, including the Middle East, Afghanistan and other international topics", Mr. Kharrazi said.
Iran, some hard line Arab and Muslim nations had clashed with the Europeans at the just ended International Conference on Racism held in Durban, South Africa over equating Zionism with racism.
He said he had invited Mr. Michel and Mr. Solana to visit Iran, "to give ourselves more time to touch upon pending questions".
Answering questions by journalists, Mr. Kharrazi said though his country was squeezed between threats coming from its Eastern and Western borders – a reference to Pakistan and Iraq --, but Iran was against production and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
"For this reason, each year, with Egypt, we bring a motion at the United nations aimed at declaring the Middle East a nuclear free zone", he said.
On the situation in the occupied territories, Mr. Kharrazi said in his opinion, there could be no lasting and serious peace in the region unless Israel ends its aggressive policy of "iron fist" towards the Palestinians in the one hand and without the right of the Palestinian refugees to come back to their original homes and lands on the other, "a right that the Israelis do not want to be considered".
After his meetings with senior EU officials in the morning, Mr. Kharrazi was scheduled to hold talks with the European High Commissioner for International Trade, Mr. Chris Patten and with Belgian officials on Tuesday, before his return to Tehran.
As the Iranian and EU officials were discussion bilateral issues, a handful of Iranian dissidents were protesting outside EU's building against the visit of Mr. Kharrazi, condemning clampdown on human rights in iran and on the freedom of the press. ENDS IRAN EU 10901