TEHRAN
-- Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said on a visit to Tehran
he was optimistic progress could be made on a political and trade
deal between the European Union and Iran, IRNA news agency said on
Tuesday.
The trade and cooperation agreement would be an important
milestone in the EU-Iran relations.
"I am very optimistic about signing the trade agreement between
Iran and the European Union," IRNA quoted Michel as saying.
The Belgian minister arrived in Tehran late on Monday and held a
meeting with Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi and President
Mohammad Khatami as well as other senior officials before departing
on Thursday morning.
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 Islamic Republic, 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.
