|
Rebuffing
Bush, Iran Promotes Economic Ties With EU
 |
| Austria’s
Klestil, right, welcomes Iran's Khatami at the Hofburg
Palace in Vienna. |
VIENNA,
March 12 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – In a visit seen by
analysts as a way of bypassing the U.S. President’s “axis of
evil” term, the Iranian President used his visit to Europe this
week to promote economic and political links between Iran and the
European Union.
Khatami
granted contracts worth 1.1 billion dollars (1.26 billion euros) to
several Austrian businesses on the second day of his two-nation
visit, which includes talks tomorrow (Wednesday, March 13) with
Javier Solana, Foreign Policy Chief in the European Union.
The
Iranian president notably signed a contract to build a metro line in
Tehran with the Austrian subsidiary of German electrical
conglomerate Siemens, the Austrian employers' chamber said, reported
Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Vienna's
airport also signed a contract to extend an airport in Iran while
Austrian telecommunications company Indeo was hired to modernize
Iran's telephone network, according to the chamber. A fourth
contract was signed with Austrian autmobile parts manufacturer Magna
Steyr.
"There
have never been so many contracts signed between Iran and Austria.
It is a very large volume of business," said chamber spokesman
Marcus Nepf.
Euro
Chamber, an association representing 1,500 chambers of commerce and
15 million businesses in 36 European countries, has signed an
economic cooperation agreement with the Iranian Chamber of Commerce.
The
project was backed by European Commission President Romano Prodi, an
Austrian source said.
"We
are in favor of developing business and commercial ties with Iran.
We call on the EU to quickly develop an appropriate framework for
commerce and cooperation," said Christoph Leitl, president of
Euro Chamber, at an economic forum attended by Austrian President
Thomas Klestil.
"Economic
stability is the base of political stability", he added.
"In the 21st century, it is not a question of digging new
graves but of building new bridges," he added in an address to
some 200 business representatives.
The
Iranian reformist leader Monday started what is widely seen as a
mission to build up European ties after U.S. President George Bush
accused Iran of pursuing weapons of mass destruction and
"exporting terror".
"States
should not describe their opponents as evil," said Khatami at a
news conference Monday with Klestil.
"But
all states should work together to fight the real evil in the world,
which is poverty, injustice, terrorism and violence."
For
his part, Klestil backed Iran's denial of the allegations leveled by
Bush, which were made during his State of the Union address at the
end of January.
"I
don't agree with this view, Austria doesn't agree with this view and
the European Union doesn't agree with this view either," said
the president, who in 1999 became the first EU head of state to
visit Iran since the Islamic revolution 20 years earlier.
Khatami's
visit to Austria is his first to Europe since the United States
grouped Iran in an "axis of evil" with Iraq and North
Korea.
|
