EU Commissioner for external relations, Chris Patten, arrived in Tehran Monday on a three-day visit for the second round of negotiations between Iran and the European Union on mutual trade and cooperation agreement.
"There are several reasons for my visit. One of them is to hold the second round of talks for trade and cooperation agreement between (the) European Union and Iran," he told reporters upon arrival on the first leg of his three-nation tour which will also take him to Turkey and Lebanon.
"The second issue is the progress in our dialogue on related matters involving politics, terrorism, human rights. Thirdly, we will discuss with the (Iranian) government officials the situation in the region particularly the crisis involving Iraq," Patten said, according to IRNA.
"These are very powerful reasons to be here at the moment," the EU official added.
Asked about EU stance on the Iraqi crisis, Patten said: "The Security Council resolutions should be implemented in full and that in particular (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein should work with arms inspectors to secure the disarmament which the international community wants to see.
"I think there is broad support in the European Union for trying to ensure that as far as possible the inspectors are able to disarm Iraq and that there is, once and for all, compliance with the authority for the UN."
Patten's visit to Iran is his second after last year's trip of EU troika delegation. The first round of talks was held in Brussels last December.
The EU commissioner is due to hold meetings with Iran's top officials, including President Mohammad Khatami, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi and the head of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Mohsen Mirdamadi.
Later, he said the European Union regarded its deep and expanding relations with Iran as being of strategic importance and considered promotion of these ties in the interest of the region and the world.
Speaking at a joint press concerence with Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Patten said: "We open this dialog on different issues including political issues, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and human rights. "We have differences of view and we have been discussing those issues in a civilized manner in the last hours." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
