Posted on 08/26/2006 3:54:21 PM PDT by familyop
Rome, 10 August (AKI) - Italy will have to rely on its relationship with Iran to play a role in the Middle East, says Abolfazl Zohrevand, Tehran's new ambassador to Rome. In an interview to Tehran's radical Kayhan paper, the ambassador said that "Italy, as one of the eight major world powers, is looking for a more relevant role in the Middle East - a role it won't be able to play if it doesn't exploit its relations with Iran."
Ambassador Zohrevand also called for "stronger support to the Islamic Republic from the new government" of centre-left premier Romano Prodi, which was sworn in in May. The diplomat said such support was likely given that, "contrary to (the previous conservative prime minister Silvio) Berlusconi, Prodi doesn't pursue the objective of helping US interests in the region."
Zohrevand said top on his agenda as the Iranian ambassador in Rome was to "create the conditions enabling the Islamic Republic to make the most of Italy's presence within the European Union, the board of governors of the IAEA (the UN atomic watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency) and international institutions."
Italy is Iran's main trading partner in Europe and commercial relations between the two countries were reportedly worth five billion euros in 2005.
(Rah/Aki)
...related.
US: We will independently impose sanctions on Iran
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1690508/posts
(AGI) - Berlin, Aug. 26 - After having a protagonist role for peace in Lebanon Italy asks to take part in the 5+ 1 group that negotiates with Iran on nuclear. Foreign minister, Massimo D'Alema in an interview to "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" asks a place near to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. "We are Iran's most important commercial partners with Germany and we are pledged in Lebanon with Hezbollah. So we have the right to be included in the negotiation with Iran. The goal is not a new conflict but talks aimed at preventing Iran from having an atomic bomb, he said. Italy searched for a greater G8 involvement in the negotiation with Iran but it remained excluded from the 5 plus 1, the group that started a negotiation with Tehran offering incentives in exchange for the suspension of the uranium enrichment program. This exclusion was due to the fact that Rome was not part of the European trio (France, Germany and UK) that had tried the first mediation with Tehran and represented the EU in the 5 plus 1. D'Alema remembered that the United Nations and the EU had not a role in the Iraqi crisis, and warned that the new opportunity in Lebanon could not be missed now. "It is a very difficult mission full of unknown points but it is worth pledging or the only alternative would be a new burst of war" he said. The foreign minister, was sceptical on the possibility of a new UN resolution for the mission in Lebanon asked by the US. "I'm sceptical about it, because in these situations they always open long negotiations. The strategic plan is clear and the resolution was completed defining the rules of engagement. If they will make a new resolution soon I agree with them but the most important thing is getting there as soon as possible (In Lebanon)" he said.
Brilliant.
Thanks. I agree and have the same wish. Most of western Europe has larger economic stakes in Iran, and all of it has larger population numbers in favor of appeasement and in disagreement against us. ...sad. And yes, as the situation is now, the USA would fight Iran to protect Italy, if necessary.
Unfortunately since oil starved Italy's economy is interlinked with Iranian OPEC oil imports we can not expect the Italian government to be in the forefront of pushing oil related sanctions or a blockade against the Tehran terrorist promoting régime.
AGI redirected the page of the piece I posted in comment #4. The date for the AGI piece is 2006-08-27. I'll find another link.
"AGI redirected the page of the piece I posted in comment #4. The date for the AGI piece is 2006-08-27. I'll find another link."
...also linked and blurbed in the lists behind the following. That should be evidence enough.
http://www.williambowles.info/syria_lebanon/sl_newslinks_260806.html
http://www.asia-overview.com/search.stm?area=Lebanon
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