Last Monday, the United States held its first direct talks with Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis in which Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, causing Washington to sever its diplomatic ties with the country. The theme of the meeting was restoring order in Iraq.

This is a major shift in policy for the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, which called Iran part of an "axis of evil." We welcome the decision to seek regional stabilization through cooperation and coordination instead of confrontation.

During the four-hour talks, the two sides agreed that a "stable Iraq" was vital. This is very significant.

A proposal to hold consultations between Washington and Tehran was also made by the bipartisan "Iraq Study Group" appointed by the U.S. Congress in a report published at the end of last year.

At long last, the Bush administration is gearing up to respond to the growing quagmire it faces in Iraq and mounting domestic criticism of U.S. foreign policy. Yet, the administration is still indecisive.

The recent talks should be the first step for confidence-building so as to eliminate distrust between the two countries. Since they share the common aim of improving the security situation in Iraq, they can reasonably expect to make discernible progress if they work together.

During the meeting, Iran proposed the establishment of a "mechanism to maintain security." This would involve Iran, Iraq and the United States. If it works, it may usher in a cycle that leads to a restoration of reasonable order.

The Shiites, who control the government and the Islamic Dawa Party to which Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki belongs, as well as the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, were based in Iran when Saddam Hussein was in power and were receiving support from Tehran.

It is also true that while the United States advocated the establishment of democracy in the new Iraq, it did not want the Shiites to seize power. Distrust also prevails between the United States and the Shiites.

If the United States and Iran continue to hold consultations to reduce distrust and the United States recognizes Iran's cooperation in Iraqi nation-building, the new Iraqi administration will become more stable.

The direct talks did not involve Iran's nuclear development program. Since both countries feel they are "a threat" to each other, it is obviously difficult for them to find a way to settle the problem.

If Iraq's security situation improves, and the two countries can come to trust each other, it is bound to have a positive effect in advancing negotiations over the nuclear problem.

(Source: Asahi Shimbun)