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Posted on 10/30/2003 6:51:25 PM PST by Pan_Yans Wife
End of the road for EU engagement of Iran?
Monday, July 14, 2003 - ©2003 IranMania.com
TEHRAN, July 14 (AFP) - The US administration has been wielding the stick against Iran by lumping it into its "axis of evil" and following up with almost daily accusations of misconduct. The European Union has preferred to go for the carrot.
Seeing negotiations as the way ahead, EU member states have been dangling what could be a lucrative trade and cooperation agreement in exchange for concessions in four areas of major concern: Iran's nuclear programme, contacts with groups deemed "terrorist", the Middle East peace process and human rights.
But one year down the road, EU diplomats feel they are hitting their heads against a brick wall.
"There is a degree of major frustration. There is a chink of light on the nuclear issue, total immobility on human rights, some movement but not much on terrorism and nothing at all on the Middle East peace process," said one Tehran-based European ambassador.
The EU has been at the forefront of pressure on Iran to allow tougher International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of its suspect nuclear programme, something that Iran has resisted but will nevertheless continue discussing with the IAEA in the coming weeks.
(Excerpt) Read more at freerepublic.com ...
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