Iran, EU Negotiations on Campaign Against Terrorism
The European Union clarified Wednesday that there are no conditions attached to the negotiations on a trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) alongside a political dialogue with Iran that will be launched on Thursday.
"There are no conditions tomorrow for opening negotiations. The EU has set out very clearly its views, its ambitions and its expectations. The agreement is there to serve as a frame, to help us move forward in the goals we set ourselves," said an EU official in Brussels.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, however, stressed that both the TCA and political agreement will have to be concluded together.
"Both negotiations will progress according to their own logic and to our respective capacities in the EU and the Iranian side of taking them forward. "But there is an agreement on the EU side that they will be concluded together. Whenever we reach a conclusion it will be a conclusion of the whole package."
He said it was difficult to speak about a time framework when the negotiations will be concluded and hoped that both sides could reach to a satisfactory common basis as soon as possible. "We do want to engage with Iran. It is in our interests and in Iran's interests."
On the U.S. sanctions on Iran, EU officials say Brussels does not like extraterritorial legislation.
"It is inappropriate for one country trying to dictate behavior on companies in another country," noted an EU official.
On the modalities of the talks, it is estimated that the two sides would meet every two or three months, if sufficient homework is done by both sides, alternating between Brussels and Tehran.
The EU is looking forward to develop with Iran the most-favored based nation (MFN) agreement like the EU treats other WTO members.
Iran has no such MFN treatment so the objective of negotiations will be to identify with Iran what would be its treatment under the EU's MFN agreement.
On Thursday, the two sides will only make oral presentations on their positions connected with the trade agreement and on the political dialogue that includes human rights, counter-terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and the Middle East.
On 19 November 2001, the commission approved a proposal to begin negotiations on a cooperation and trade agreement with Iran to put the relations on a contractual basis.
On June 17, 2002, the EU Council of Ministers gave the commission the mandate to begin negotiations with the Islamic Republic.