TEHRAN, 23 July 2004 — Iran warned the European Union yesterday to refrain from using “double standard” in its dealings with the Islamic republic over its nuclear activities, the official news agency IRNA reported. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi accused the EU of failing to live up to undertakings in a landmark deal with Iran in October which saw Tehran agree to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency.
But Iran has accused the Europeans of damaging the deal by sponsoring a critical resolution adopted last month by the IAEA, which deplored a lack of cooperation by Tehran.
“If the EU is interested in extensive relations with the Islamic republic of Iran as a key player in the establishment of peace and security in the region, it should refrain from double standards and stand firmly committed to its undertakings,” Kharrazi said after holding talks in Cairo with EU foreign policy envoy Javier Solana.
“We made it clear that the EU did not respect its undertakings consistent with the Tehran Declaration signed on Oct. 21, 2003, or it has adopted double standard toward its commitment,” he said without elaborating.
However, Kharrazi added: “Despite the ups and downs in Iran-EU relations, the two sides are keen on developing mutual ties.” The government in Tehran is accused by the United States of using an atomic energy program as a cover for top secret weapons development, a charge Iran denies.
Under the October deal with Europe’s “Big Three” of Britain, France and Germany, Iran agreed to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment, allow tougher inspections and file a comprehensive declaration of its nuclear activities.
But since then, IAEA experts have discovering omissions in Iran’s reporting, inspection visits have been delayed and the regime has backing away from a pledge to suspend all enrichment-related activities. Iran’s top national security body has said that the next round of talks with Britain, France and Germany on the nuclear issue would resume later this month.
Meanwhile, Iran has postponed a visit by a United Nations human rights team that had been due in Tehran next week, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said yesterday. A spokesman said Iran indicated that the visit - led by Diego Garcia Sayan who chairs a working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances - could take place in October or perhaps before.
There was no immediate comment from the Iranian mission in Geneva on the postponement, but diplomatic sources said the official explanation was that the Tehran judiciary had not been able to coordinate meetings with its officials next week.
The development comes in the wake of a major controversy between Canada and Iran over the trial of an Iranian intelligence official accused of killing an Iranian-born Canadian journalist.
Iran’s reformist government on Monday sided with Canadian officials and defense lawyers to accuse the country’s hard-line judiciary of charging the wrong man with the killing of Zahra Kazemi while she was in custody for taking photographs of a Tehran prison.
