When I think of the Iranians I think of the people that fought the invading Mongols so well that even in defeat, after Gengis had made mountains of severed Persian heads, Gengis himself said Persians were worthy of respect.
Gengis was a tough audience!!!!
You guys hang in there, things are working out. Keep George Walker Bush President. That is what it takes.
Solana: Iran, natural partner of EU
IRIB English News
2004/01/10
Brussels, Jan 10 - Javier Solana, EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy, Friday described the Islamic Republic as an important country with which the EU seeks solid relationship.
"I have been in Tehran on many occasions and I will continue to be, because for us, for Europeans Iran is a natural partner and is an important country and a country ( with which) I hope there will be a solid relationship," said Solana in an exclusive interview with IRNA in Brussels Friday afternoon.
Solana begins an official visit to Tehran on Monday for talks on EU-Iran relations with the Iranian leadership.
"This trip I have a mandate from the leaders of the European Union. We have a dialogue in many fields and I hope there will be a very close relationship. As I said before Iran is a natural partner for the EU," he said.
The EU summit in Brussels in December asked Solana to go to Tehran to lay the ground for further development of relations after Iran signed the additional protocol to the NPT. Solana denied reports in some western media which alleged that he was going to Tehran to put pressure on the Iranian side on issues like human rights, nuclear programme and the Middle East problem.
"Relations with an important country like Iran is based on mutual respect. There are issues that we agree and issues that we disagree. We try to solve all the problems through the mechanism of dialogue and not through any other way," stressed Solana in the interview with IRNA.
Replying to a question on the current EU-Iran relations, Solana said, "We want to have a very natural partnership with Iran. We have many points of contact, dialogue, cooperation, transparency."
Asked when he thought the trade and cooperation negotiations between the EU and Iran would resume, Solana said he cannot give a specific date now.
"It will be something to discuss, to talk. The dialogue will continue to be open in all the fields in which we have a dialogue now."
"I hope that soon we can contribute to the resumption of the negotiations,'' added Solana who is regarded as one of the main proponents of engagement and dialogue between the European bloc and Iran.
EU and Iran have held four rounds of TCA talks which were launched in December 2002.
Solana noted that his visit is taking place "in a very dramatic moment for Iran," referring to the Bam earthquake.
"The Europeans have shown deep sympathy for the tragedy in Bam,"he said.
"I would very much like to visit Bam to show on behalf of the European Union to the people of Bam our support and sympathy and commitment to provide assistance to humanitarian efforts," he said.
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