Iran-EU talks to cover human rights

Date: 21/11/02

By David Cronin

IRAN will start talks on building closer trade and political links with the EU next month. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said 12 December had been earmarked for negotiations to begin.

He was speaking after meetings with European Commission President Romano Prodi, External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Javier Solana.

While Iran had previously sought to restrict the discussions to economic issues, it has now accepted EU calls for political questions, including human rights, to be on the agenda. The most sensitive of these is likely to be the death penalty.

Earlier this month Poul Nielson, the development and humanitarian aid commissioner, said he 'deplored' Iran's use of 'cruel and inhuman sentences such as stoning'. He pointed out that at least 139 people had been executed last year; the figures included two women who were stoned to death. But Kharrazi defended capital punishment in Islamic law. 'Many other countries have the death penalty, including the US,' he said.

European exporters are keen to secure an accord granting them greater access to Iran as the Union has had a negative trade balance with the country in recent years. EU imports from Iran were worth €8.4 billion in 2000, while exports totalled only €5.2 billion.

Kharazzi urged the EU to 'advise the Americans to be neutral' on the Middle East, saying Washington's support for Israel was hindering peace efforts.

Tehran, he added, would not participate in any war involving its neighbour Iraq. Differences over weapons inspections, he said, should be resolved by political dialogue, rather than by force.

Iran is due to start talks on building closer trade and political links with the EU on 12 December 2002, according to Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.