Iran calls for equal relations with EU
Sunday, April 4, 2004 (Tehran):
Iran on Sunday said it would accept no preconditions for cooperation with the European Union (EU) on the issue of its nuclear programme, because cooperation "benefits both sides", not just Iran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi was reacting to concerns expressed on Thursday by Britain, France and Germany over the inauguration of the Uranium Conversion Facility in Isfahan.
The EU members said Tehran must allay international concerns about its uranium enrichment programme.
Asefi rejected the criticism saying Iran instead expects the three big countries to fulfill their pledges to Iran including providing Tehran with advanced nuclear technology, which they have refused to do.
Ineffective sanctions
Asefi also denounced as "indecent" and "ineffective" sanctions imposed by the United States against 13 foreign companies for allegedly selling equipment or technology to Iran that could be used for non-conventional and nuclear weapons.
The US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said on Friday the sanctions bar the US government from dealing with or providing assistance to the companies but the penalties won't apply to their respective governments.
Five of the companies are from China, and two each are from Macedonia and Russia.
There is one each from Belarus, North Korea, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.
All the firms were found to have had dealings with Iran that the Nonproliferation Act of 2000 is designed to deter.
UN watchdog
Asefi said Iran has no nuclear facility hidden from the UN nuclear watchdog, saying Tehran remains committed to its pledge to suspend uranium enrichment and wants "remaining issues" be resolved this week.
Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is scheduled to visit Iran on Tuesday, days after inspectors from his agency visited two key nuclear facilities in Iran.
The spokesman said inspectors from the IAEA will visit Iran later this month to discuss suspension of uranium enrichment by Iran and discovery of P-2 centrifuges that Iran had not declared to the agency.
ElBaradei said last month Iran has much to do before the IAEA can give its nuclear programme a clean bill of health.
The IAEA director plans to present an assessment of Iran's nuclear activities to the IAEA board of governors in June. (AP)
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Iran+calls+for+equal+relations+with+EU&id=51595Iran to probe Statoil scandal
Monday, 5 April 2004
Gulf Daily News
Bahrain
TEHRAN: Iran's reformist-held parliament, weeks away from being handed over to conservatives, yesterday approved an official probe into alleged corruption by Norwegian state-run oil group Statoil and its Iranian partners. In an open session, Majlis Energy Commission member Tahereh Rezazadeh argued that while the controversy had prompted the resignation of Statoil's chairman and chief executive in September last year, few questions had been raised inside Iran. Statoil was last year placed under under a police probe after it emerged the company, which has extensive business dealings in the country, had became embroiled in a scandal over possible bribery in a multi-million dollar deal signed with a London-based consultant working to promote Statoil's interests in Iran.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=78319&Sn=BUSI