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Mottaki's charm offensive in Europe

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Brussels, Feb 21, IRNA
EU-Iran-Mottaki
Manouchehr Mottakis's first foray as the Islamic Republic's foreign minister into Europe's heartland is winning him kudos from all sides for his impressive performance.

"He was clear, diplomatic but put his views across well. He was impressive," one European journalist told IRNA.

Mottaki spoke in four press conferences, addressed the Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament and met three top EU officials during his whirlwind visit to the EU's political capital.

"It was very courageous of him to come here and speak in the European Parliament at the moment when anti-Iranian feelings are high in Europe and tensions between the West and the Islamic world are at a peak over the cartoon controversy," one European observer told IRNA.

Speaking to reporters in English, Mottaki firmly conveyed the message that Iran has the legitimate right to nuclear technology as a signatory to the NPT, has no intention to produce nuclear weapons and wants to pursue the path of dialogue and cooperation with Europe and not confrontation.

"What he said in public, he also told us in private," one EU diplomat told IRNA implying that the Iranian minister was not playing diplomatic games.

The European side was taken aback by Mottaki's bold challenge to issues like human rights, freedom of expression, terrorism and the question of Palestine
He accused Europe of double standards pointing out the rights of Muslim minorities were being trampled in Europe, the Iranian terrorist group MKO was being supported by many European
governments and freedom of expression is restricted when a subject like Holocaust is touched.

"The time for using language of threats is over,'' he reminded his European interlocutors in apparent reference to western threats to impose sanction on Iran through the UN Security Council.

"We are open to dialogue, to listen to new ideas and for compromise," he stressed.

On Palestine, Mottaki pointed out that the western world was refusing to recognize Hamas although the Islamic group won the elections.

"Of course, we did not agree on many things what he said, especially Israel and the Holocaust, but he was frank and its is always good and useful to have such dialogue," one EU official told IRNA.

Mottaki met EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, EU
Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht and addressed the Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament, the main attraction of his visit.

Mottaki replied calmly to the tough questions posed by members of the European Parliament on issues like human rights, Palestine, Holocaust and the nuclear issue.

"It was an impressive charm offensive by Mottaki," commented one European analyst.

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