Iran's Deputy FM Meets Spanish Secretary of State

June 8, 2002 - 0:0
MADRID -- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammadjavad Zarif here on Wednesday met with Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Miguel Nadal to discuss cooperation between Iran and the European Union (EU).

Iran-EU commercial agreements and cooperation was among the main topics that Zarif and Nadal discussed.

The Iranian side hoped that EU foreign ministers would make necessary decision to start negotiations between Iran and the European Commission at their upcoming meeting in Luxembourg, a diplomat of the Iranian delegation told IRNA.

Zarif stressed that the talks should be based on mutual interests of both Iran and the European Union.

The Iranian official asked the EU to implement its acts on fighting terrorism within the framework of United Nation resolutions.

Following EU's announcement on May 3 which included the MKO in the new list of terrorist groups, Zarif asked the Spanish side to urgently block MKO's funds and other financial assets and stop its activity in the EU.

The MKO, officially outlawed in Iran because of a long record of political assassinations, bomb blasts and terrorist schemes since 1979, is based in neighboring Iraq from where it plans sporadic attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He thanked Spain's efforts to expand Iran-EU further cooperation.

The eighth round of talks between Iran and the European Union opened in Madrid on February 2.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Euro-American Affairs Ali Ahani headed the Iranian delegation to the meeting while Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Miguel Nadal led the Spanish delegation.

Prospects of Iran-EU ties, especially preparations necessary for concluding commercial agreements, the role of working groups active in the commercial, investment, energy, drugs, immigration and refugee areas and present obstacles in the way of exports of Iranian products to European markets were among topics that were discussed in the meeting.