Iran Makes Headway in Diplomatic Drives With West

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 28, 2001

Iran Makes Headway in Diplomatic Drives With West

Iran has been seemingly making some gains in it's diplomatic strives to break the icy relations with the West as the eventful year 2001 approaching to its end.

Iran has been seemingly making some gains in it's diplomatic strives to break the icy relations with the West as the eventful year 2001 approaching to its end.

The Iranian government, headed by the reformist President Mohammad Khatami, who initiated the dialog among civilizations, has taken on new dimensions in its efforts to break out of the West isolation imposed by the United States in the 1990s.

Analysts believe that Iran has been working effectively and incrementally to enhance its ties with the European countries in 2001, and more notably the U.S., Tehran's longtime arch-foe.

The Khatami administration has spared no efforts in treading a fine line in which detente policy is pursued while the Islamic value and principles are upheld.

Iran's diplomatic drives to warm up ties with the West gained fresh momentum following the September 11 terror attacks in the U. S., a disaster deemed by Iran's reformists as a rare opportunity to mend its fences with the U.S. as the two sides found themselves on the same side when it comes to Afghanistan, charged by the U.S. of harboring Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of the attacks. Ties With Europe on the Upswing

There has been a considerable change in the attitude of European countries towards Iran during the year 2001. Considering the detente policy of the Islamic republic in particular, the European states have expressed a keen desire for the expansion of ties with Tehran based on mutual respect and interests.

On the European Union (EU) front, Iran has successfully dismantled the walls of mistrust with the 15-member bloc and won its confidence, indicated by the EU's determination to develop its "critical dialog" with the regional giant into "comprehensive dialog."

The EU, Iran's largest trading partner, believes that trade with Iran has enormous potential in view of Iran's rich endowments of natural resources as the European Council has been determined to strengthen cooperation with Iran in key areas of mutual interest such as drugs, refugees, environment and regional issues.

Realizing Iran's strategic role in the regional development, top European diplomats rushed to the Islamic republic, trying to bring closer bilateral ties and to coordinate stance on issue of common interest.

The September 11 terror attacks on the U.S. turned Tehran into a hub of consultations on the future of Afghanistan, and an EU delegation, grouping Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, visited Tehran for rallying Iran's support in the international war against terrorism.

Iran, for its part, strengthened its voice in claiming that it is an influential force in wiping out Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime and fighting terrorism worldwide.

It was quick in denouncing the kamikaze-style attacks on the U. S., with President Khatami calling for efficient and organized international actions against the phenomena, thus sending out signals that Iran could be a coalition partner rather than a potential target.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made two historic visits to Iran in less than 70 days, the first by a British foreign secretary since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, in a bid to elevate the London-Tehran ties and to take Iran's view on terrorism.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Tony Blair had a noticeable telephone conversation with Khatami on terrorism.

Believing that direct talks are beneficial for the two sides, Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi and his deputy Javad Zarif toured Brussels in a bid to convince the European nations that it can play a constructive, stabilizing role in regional developments.

The two-way communication has contributed to improving ties between Tehran and the EU, which appeared eager to have a share of the rich economic pie in Iran and has determined to pursue talks in various fields with the Mideast power seriously. U.S. No Eternal Enemy, Interest Comes First

Although the icy U.S.-Iran relations have not witnessed a breakthrough over the past year and talks about normalization of bilateral ties still seemed premature, an unofficial romance has nevertheless been detectable.

The U.S. determination to root out the Taliban regime has made an opportunity for the two sides to bridge a 22-year divide and re- establish trade links.

Washington broke ties with Iran after Islamic fundamentalist students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostages in the 1979 Islamic revolution.

But what has emerged from the debris of the September 11 attacks is the common understanding shared by both Iran and the U.S. that hostility does not last while interests do.

Iran and the U.S. accidentally found themselves to be bedfellows when it comes to the Afghanistan issue as both want the Taliban to disappear in the region, though out of a different sense.

The scenario provided Iran with an opportunity to show that it was not outright down with the U.S.. It even added a new dimension to cooperate.

In the U.S., Pennsylvania's Republican Senator Arlen Specter, who has pinned hope on moderate Iranians to open a new chapter and saw the Afghan war as an opportunity to bring the process forward, hosted a congressional dinner for Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. Hadi Nejad Hoseinian.

Officials in Washington were also appreciative for Iran's offering condolence to victims of the September 11 attacks.

The Iranian people held candle-lit vigils for the victims of the attacks, and Tehran Mayor Morteza Alviri and Tehran City Council Chairman Mohammad Atrianfar sent letters of condolence to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

What was highlighted in the Iran and U.S. media was the handshake in a U.N.-sponsored meeting on Afghanistan between Iranian Foreign Minister Kharazi and his U.S. counterpart Colin Powell, the first of its kind in over 20 years for the two longtime enemies.

Powell held out hand to Kharazi after the Iranian minister expressed his condolences to the American people and the families of the victims of a crashed passenger plane in New York just before the 6+2 meeting on Afghanistan, attended by foreign ministers from Russia, the U.S. and Afghanistan's six neighbors, to explore the outlines of a new government after the war.

U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher also appreciated President Khatami and Kharazi for expressing sympathy with the American nation on New York plane crash disaster.

Hoping to use the September 11 attacks as a springboard for ending 22 years of estrangement with the U.S., Iran, for the first time, agreed to allow American ships to unload wheat at Iranian ports for Afghan refugees, and has taken an extraordinary step of offering haven to any downed U.S. pilot seeking refugee.

But what barred such romance from developing any further is the U.S. administration's unchanged accusation of Iran's arms build-up, support for militant anti-Israel groups and opposition to the Mideast peace process.

Iran's Khatami and his foreign minister have also been unable to overcome internal opposition to reaching out further to Washington.