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The trade and cooperation
agreement would be an important milestone in the EU's efforts
to engage Iran and encourage change. The policy is in stark
contrast to U.S. hostility to Iran, which Washington says is
part of an "axis of evil". "I am very optimistic about signing
the trade agreement between Iran and the European Union," the
agency quoted Michel as saying. The Belgian minister arrived
in Tehran late on Monday and is due to meet his Iranian
counterpart Kamal Kharrazi and reformist President Mohammad
Khatami as well as a senior conservative cleric before
departing on Thursday morning. Diplomats said a deal was still
a long way off. EU foreign ministers in May failed to agree to
give the European Commission a green light to start
negotiating the agreement with Tehran. Ministers differed over
whether to go for a quick trade accord with the oil-rich
Islamic Republic, excluding provisions on human rights,
political dialogue and fighting terrorism, or seek a broader
agreement that might take longer to take effect. The EU sees
the agreement as a way to boost the embattled Khatami and
encourage the reform process he began five years ago but which
has become stymied by conservative opposition. Diplomats say
the sharp differences between EU and U.S. policies on Iran may
in fact be an effective way of encouraging change in the
Islamic Republic. "It's the good cop, bad cop routine," said
one. "The EU carrot and the U.S. stick." Iran is expected to
lobby Michel to take a soft line on Iran when eu foreign
ministers meet next week to again discuss whether to give the
European Commission the mandate to begin negotiating the
agreement. Michel, for his part, is expected to press Iran on
human rights concerns and ask Tehran to accept the return of
failed Iranian asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. Tehran
refuses to accept its citizens who are deported against their
will.
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