Iran's parliament speaker Mehdi Karubi, meeting with visiting British government minister Mo Mowlam Sunday, February 26, underlined Tehran's "serious" interest in expanding ties with the European Union (EU), the state IRNA news agency reported.
"We are seriously following the policy of detente, dialogue among civilizations, and productive dialogue with other countries, notably the European Union and our serious interest is an expansion of ties with this union," Karubi told Mowlam on the first day of her four-day visit to Tehran. The head of Iran's reform-majority parliament called for "an expansion of ties between the two countries in all fields."
Karubi also criticized the double-standard policies of the EU and international organizations towards the issue of terrorism, calling on them to "prevent the activities" of such organizations, notably Iran's main armed opposition group, the Iraq-based People's Mujahedeen.
He also named the "killing of the innocent Palestinian people" as another case of human rights violations which is not being dealt with by the EU and international organizations in a "serious" manner.
Mowlam, making the first visit by a British cabinet minister to Teheran since the 1979's Islamic revolution, qualified as "extremely important" the reforms which have taken place in Islamic Iran, IRNA reported.
Earlier on Sunday, Mowlam called for a "further cooperation between the two countries in their fight against drugs." “Although Iran and Britain have many cultural differences, one of the things our countries have in common is a serious drug problem," she said during a joint anti-drug seminar in Tehran. "I recognize that you are doing a magnificent job interrupting drug-smuggling into Europe and Britain," Mowlam said cited by IRNA.
Iranian territory is a key transit route for drugs from producer countries such as Pakistan and especially Afghanistan, to markets in the Gulf, Europe and central Asia. Authorities in Tehran regularly criticize the lack of international support for Iran's fight against drugs.
Britain has already donated €4.3 million ($3.95 million) to the United Nations anti-drug program in Iran, and Mowlam, who is responsible for coordinating Britain's policy on drugs, is expected to propose an additional financial injection to help train and equip Iranian police and border guards to fight drug traffickers.
The former Northern Ireland secretary is also scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and London and visit a rehabilitation center in the central city of Isfahan. Britain's Foreign Minister Robin Cook has put off a planned visit to Iran several times, citing time constraints. — (AFP, Tehran)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
