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| Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tehran | Farsi-Nederlands | ||
EU Public Diplomacy in Iran
march 2009 The European Union in the world The European Union (EU) provides an example of peaceful integration of a continent formerly riven by war and division. Today, the EU, which is the world’s largest donor of development assistance and humanitarian aid, is active around the world, trying to combat poverty, to promote inclusive and just societies, and to safeguard and improve the natural environment on which we all depend. While promoting its values and interests, the EU persistently supports multilateral solutions to the challenging problems we all face today. A decade of relations with Iran, but greater potential The EU is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s main trading partner. Iran and the European Union began to seek possibilities for co-operation in 1998, leading to the launch of negotiations for a Trade and Co-operation Agreement and for a Political Dialogue Agreement in 2002. Negotiations were stalled in 2005. Resumption of negotiations between the EU and Iran on such agreements would enhance our political dialogue on regional and global issues, help Iran become a member of the World Trade Organization, and pave the way for closer co-operation in science & technology, energy, transport, environment, drug control, asylum and migration, education and culture, and any other area of shared interest. The EU and Iran working together The EU and Iranian governmental bodies already work together to: - Promote research in Iran. Iranian students and scholars have studied and carried out research in European universities, with support of the EU’s Erasmus Mundus programme, which offers scholarships for masters courses in Europe. The project brings together European universities, the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research & Technology and six Iranian universities. In its first year, over 50 Iranian scholars have already benefited from this programme to study a wide range of subjects in Europe. - Improve conditions in prison. The EU works with the Iranian judiciary on penal reform; - Help Afghan refugees and the Iranian people who have been caring for them. The EU has worked with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to help the Iranian Government repatriate or resettle some of the 2 million Afghan people who have sought and found refuge in Iran; - Control the spread of drugs. The European Commission supports the Iranian Drugs Control Headquarters and NGOs such as “Omid-e Now” who work on the drug problem in Iran; - Promote human rights. In Iran, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights is currently working with UN agencies in the field of human rights protection and education; - Respond to disaster. In response to the devastating earthquake that hit the city of Bam in 2003, ECHO, the EU’s humanitarian agency, provided over 120 billion Iranian Rials to help the people of Bam. This bilateral cooperation should develop into many other areas as and when the EU and Iran are able to conclude their trade, co-operation and political agreements. The EU and Human Rights Human rights are at the heart of the EU integration process and an essential element of its external relations. In 2002, on the basis of the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ratified by Iran), the EU and Iran decided to set up a bilateral Dialogue on Human Rights. The dialogue is complemented by a round table involving Iranian and EU civil society actors, academics and experts. Unfortunately, no such meetings have been held since 2004. Each year, the EU publishes an assessment of the Human Rights situation in the EU and in the world. In 2007, the Annual Report reached the following conclusion for Iran: “Serious violations of human rights have continued to occur in Iran. There has been little or no progress in the EU’s main areas of concern since the last Annual Report, in many respects the situation has worsened. Use of the death penalty is frequent, including in the case of child offenders. Freedom of expression is severely restricted. Reports of torture are frequent. Human rights defenders continue to report harassment and intimidation.” (The full report can be found through the EC website dedicated to Iran) The EU and the Iranian nuclear programme The EU is a strong supporter of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The EU does not question the right of Iran, which ratified the NPT in 1970, to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. As for any NPT member, these rights are conditional on compliance with the obligation not to develop nuclear weapons and not to contribute to nuclear proliferation. This is why all nuclear activities must be conducted in a manner that is transparent to the international community, under the full control of the global body which is designated for that purpose, the IAEA. The EU has repeatedly stated its full support for all efforts to find a negotiated solution to the current situation. Any such negotiations, if they are to move forward, must be accompanied by the confidence-building measures requested by the international community through the IAEA, in line with the Resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security Council. Iran now faces a strategic choice: to stand further away from the international community or to get closer and engage in mutual and wide cooperation.
For further reading: The European Commission & Iran: The European Parliament: I. Questions & Answers on EU-Iran relations and on Human Rights:
There is great potential for deeper relations between Iran and the EU in many fields: culture and education, commerce, technology and research, energy and environment. Stronger ties would help both sides to deal with the many challenges of globalisation. Whilst practical cooperation between the EU and Iran already exists, the scope of the relationship is currently well below potential. The reasons are political, reflecting concerns, relating above all to Iran’s nuclear programme, but also the protection of human rights.
Negotiations for an EU-Iran Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) were launched in December 2002. The EU is Iran’s main trading partner and such an agreement is the normal channel through which the EU develops its relations with other countries and trading partners. In view of Iran’s aim of becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), such an agreement would help Iran to adapt to WTO rules. It would boost Iran’s economic development potential, enhancing the climate for trade with, and investment from, Europe and the wider world. An agreement would also pave the way for closer co-operation in a wide range of sectors, such as science & technology, energy, transport, environment, drugs control, asylum and migration, education and culture, and any other area of shared interest. Increased cooperation in all these fields should also be matched by enhanced political relations. This is why the EU and Iran began negotiating a Political Dialogue Agreement (PDA), which addresses issues such as the situation in the Middle East, the non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Human Rights and the fight against terrorism. Currently, both economic and political talks are on hold. Their resumption depends on progress in resolving the outstanding issues in connection with the Iranian nuclear programme.
The EU and Iranian governmental bodies already work together to: - Promote research in Iran. Iranian students and scholars have studied and carried out research in European universities, with support of the EU’s Erasmus Mundus programme, which offers scholarships for masters courses in Europe. The project brings together European universities, the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research & Technology and six Iranian universities. In its first year, over 50 Iranian scholars have already benefited from this programme to study a wide range of subjects in Europe. - Improve conditions in prison. The EU works with the Iranian judiciary on penal reform; - Help Afghan refugees and the Iranian people who have been caring for them. The EU has worked with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to help the Iranian Government repatriate or resettle some of the 2 million Afghan people who have sought and found refuge in Iran; - Control the spread of drugs. The European Commission supports the Iranian Drugs Control Headquarters and NGOs such as “Omid-e Now” who work on the drug problem in Iran; - Promote human rights. In Iran, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights is currently working with UN agencies in the field of human rights protection and education; - Respond to disaster. In response to the devastating earthquake that hit the city of Bam in 2003, ECHO, the EU’s humanitarian agency, provided over 120 billion Iranian Rials to help the people of Bam. This bilateral cooperation should develop into many other areas as and when the EU and Iran are able to conclude their trade, co-operation and political agreements. This bilateral cooperation should develop into many other areas as and when the EU and Iran are able to conclude their trade, co-operation and political agreements.
Human rights are an essential element of the EU’s external relations. As it does vis-à-vis other third countries, the EU takes a deep interest in the human rights situation in Iran. It has expressed its views about it on a range of occasions. All 27 EU Member States notably co-sponsored the resolution on human rights in Iran which the United Nations General Assembly's Third Committee adopted on 21 November 2008. In this document the International Community expresses deep concern at serious human rights violations in Iran, including: torture, the continuing high incidence of executions in the absence of internationally recognised standards, persons in prisons who continue to face sentences of executions by stoning, arrests, violent repression and sentencing of women exercising their right to peaceful assembly, increasing discrimination and other human rights violations against persons belonging to religious, ethnic, linguistic or other minorities, ongoing restrictions of freedom of assembly, severe limitations of freedom of religion, persistent failure to uphold due process of law rights and violation of the rights of detainees etc. Cf. and: In general, the EU calls on Iran to fulfil its international human rights obligations, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination – to both of which Iran is party – for the benefit of all people in Iran irrespective of sex or sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion or conviction. Without a concrete improvement of the human rights situation, our common objective of developing the relationship between the EU and the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot proceed properly. II. Questions & Answers on the Iranian nuclear programme and the refreshed package
The main lines of what we are offering Iran are: In the nuclear field: - We are ready to recognise fully Iran's rights to have nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. - We are ready to cooperate with Iran in the development of a modern nuclear energy programme based on the most modern generation of light-water reactors. - We offer legally binding fuel supply guarantees - We can help Iran with the management of nuclear waste. - We can support research and development as international confidence is gradually restored. In other areas: (If the nuclear issue could be solved, the door would be open to cooperation in many other areas.) - In the political arena, we are ready to cooperate in building up regional security in the wider Middle East region, in cooperation with many other partners. - In the economic field, there is an objective of normalization of trade and economic relations. - we can work on trade liberalization. - There is scope for a long-term partnership on energy. - We can work on projects in the field of the environment, infrastructure, transport and communications, science and technology and high-tech. - We can support the modernisation of agriculture. - We can work together on education and on emergency response. - We could also look at civil aviation and people-to-people exchanges.
The “refreshed” proposal says explicitly that it builds further upon the proposal presented to Iran in June 2006 “which remains on the table”. The aim of the refreshed proposal is therefore to develop and clarify some aspects of the 2006 offer. Nuclear: Both offers imply support for the construction of the most modern light water reactors. The “refreshed” proposal makes it clear that Iran’s nuclear programme would be treated “in the same manner as that of any Non-Nuclear Weapon State Party to the NPT once confidence has been restored. The refreshed offer also expresses support for R&D in nuclear energy as international confidence is gradually restored. Political: Almost the whole of the political section is new. It specifies cooperation on: - stabilization issues - conference on regional security issues - support for Iran playing an important and constructive role in international affairs - reaffirmation that a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue would contribute to the objective of a Zone free of WMD and their means of delivery - reaffirmation of the obligation under the UN Charter to refrain from the threat or use of force against territorial integrity - cooperation on Afghanistan (incl. on drugs) Energy, environment, infrastructure, economic, human and social development: - objective of normalization of trade and economic relations - normalisation of cooperation in energy - improving transport infrastructure and telecommunications - modernizing agriculture - rendering assistance for economic and social development - education (scholarships, University partnerships etc.) and - dialogue among civilisations.
Iran deliberately concealed its programme for so many years, including illicit procurement on the nuclear black market, in breach of its Safeguards Agreement (as formally put on record by the IAEA). On the basis of information derived from multiple sources over different periods of time, detailed in content, and generally consistent, the IAEA has raised many questions on Iranian activities which could be linked to the fabrication of nuclear weapons and considered by the Agency as a matter of serious concern. Iran also concentrates all its efforts on highly-sensitive activities, such as enrichment, without credible civilian rationale for these activities. So far Iran has spent a considerable amount of years attempting to develop a so-called civilian programme without any prospect for producing electricity. The only nuclear power plant in Iran, the Russian-built Bushehr power station, will use fuel supplied by Russia on a long-term basis. Therefore nobody has confidence any longer in the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme. This is why we demand the suspension of its nuclear sensitive activities, as has been required by the IAEA Board of Governors since 2005 and made mandatory by UN Security Council resolutions: - Before entering into negotiations we need to see the Iranians suspend enrichment as a sign that they are committed to the process, otherwise Iran would accumulate knowledge, equipment and fissile materials in an attempt to preempt the results of talks, while negotiating. - As it would set a very damaging precedent for other countries, which could also claim the benefits of running an enrichment program without any credible civilian rationale. - As the absence of suspension could lead some to resort to non-diplomatic means to tackle Iran’s issue. - As we are ready to suspend the implementation of all UN sanctions should Iran suspend its sensitive nuclear activities. If other states in the region believe that the Iranian programme has a military intention, then they may decide that they also need a military programme. Therefore the highest standards of transparency are required. In nuclear matters, ambiguity or misunderstandings are a cause of insecurity.
Iran claims that its enrichment programme is for civilian use, to make fuel for nuclear power reactors. This makes no sense. Iran possesses only one (unfinished) nuclear reactor, Bushehr, which would be supplied with Russian-made nuclear fuel for years to come. To build a nuclear reactor, Iran needs international cooperation and 10 more years. Producing fuel now is like producing gasoline without having a car. How can you expect us, given Iran's concealment for so many years, and given the studies with a possible military dimension, which still need to be clarified by the IAEA, to believe in entirely peaceful intentions? If other states in the region believe that the Iranian programme has a military intention, then they may decide that they also need a military programme. Therefore the highest standards of transparency are required. In nuclear matters, ambiguity or misunderstandings are a cause of insecurity.
If the international community were to be reassured of the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program, Iran would have access to all the benefits of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, in conformity with article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, the Russian Federation and the United States, with support of the European Union, have offered to cooperate with Iran in the development of a modern nuclear energy programme based on the most modern generation of light-water reactors, backed by reliable and legally-binding fuel supply guarantees. Some parts of the nuclear cycle, enrichment and reprocessing, are highly sensitive activities as they can produce materials usable in nuclear weapons. They require specific conditions in order to ensure they could not contribute to the development of nuclear weapon capabilities under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Moreover, it should be noticed that most countries choose not to invest in these costly facilities, because it would not be economically viable given the limited size of their nuclear power generation program and of the availability of cheap nuclear fuel on the market. With the offer of 12 June 2008, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, the Russian Federation and the United States, with support of the European Union, reaffirmed again Iran's rights under the NPT to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in conformity with its NPT obligations. Future arrangements, modalities and timing will be dealt with in negotiations.
The IAEA has some essential tasks: - to verify that nuclear material is not diverted from declared activities - to certify the absence of undeclared (clandestine) activities and undeclared nuclear material in Iran; Iran still refuses to resume the implementation of the additional protocol and has unilaterally revoked Code 3.1. modified, which is a fundamental instrument for the IAEA to understand which are Iran’s future projects for its nuclear programme. - to be given by Iran full light on the “outstanding questions”: while some progress has been made on the first, the real important issues remain unresolved, in particular activities which could have a military nuclear dimension (e.g. full scale hemispherical, converging, explosively driven shock system that could be applicable to an implosion-type nuclear device and the redesign of the inner cone of the Shahab-3 missile re-entry vehicle to accommodate a nuclear warhead). The latest IAEA reports remain clear that Iran not only does not answer the questions of the IAEA but even denies the Agency access to sites and persons involved in such activities.
Iran has not reacted to both the IAEA and the UNSC Resolutions. Steps decided by the UNSC in every case, either by unanimity or near unanimity, are incremental and proportionate: they give Iran an incentive to comply with the demands of the international community. We need to increase the pressure if we don’t want that Iran continues to work on enrichment technology, despite the IAEA's and the UNSC's request.
Yes, we have our double track approach, which combines dialogue and firmness. We remain committed to dialogue. This is why Solana came to Teheran to hand over an offer that can provide the basis for negotiations if the Iranians create the necessary conditions. Javier Solana recently wrote a letter to the Iranian authorities reiterating once again that the Six look for a dialogue with Iran.
We note that the Iranian proposals follow the same general outline as our 2006 proposal (and our refreshed offer 2008). Many of these are suggested themes rather than detailed proposals. We would be happy to talk of it in negotiation with the Iranians. It remains the goal of the common efforts of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, the Russian Federation and the United States, with support of the European Union, to reach a long-term agreement with Iran which would address the proliferation concerns of the international community and on the other hand lay the foundation for wider cooperation with Iran.
The United States has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979. The US has made clear by the Secretary of State signing the letter that, providing Iran suspends, it would enter into negotiations as part of the ongoing process. This is a very important step. The offer for negotiations is genuine, including on the US side. The US even showed its support for the double-track approach by sending its political director to the July 19 meeting between Solana, the six political directors and Mr Jalili. Additional Q & As concerning IAEA's verification on the nuclear programme - Why are we (even more) concerned by the Iranian nuclear programme and the lack of sufficient progress by the IAEA in addressing open questions? Iranian nuclear activities have now been investigated by the IAEA during more than 6 years but Iranian co-operation has never been sufficient for the IAEA to clarify all existing concerns since Iran has not always provided all relevant information, access to individuals involved in the programme and to sites deemed relevant by the IAEA for resolving open questions. There is information pointing to a possible military dimension (i.e. weaponisation activities) in the Iranian nuclear programme, in particular studies on test with high explosives (needed for detonating a nuclear device) and work on a missile re-entry vehicle (capability to deliver nuclear weapons by a ballistic missile). Iran takes the position that the underlying information for these allegations, which was mainly provided from national sources, is "baseless" and "fabricated". However, the IAEA has also other indications pointing to possible military dimension: procurement efforts by military institutions, use of military workshops for production of centrifuge equipment; possession by Iran of a document on casting uranium metal hemispheres (process of fabrication of core components for nuclear weapons), which could be part of a package containing detailed nuclear bomb design (In Libya, such a package was found). In his reports, the IAEA DG stressed that “this information derived from multiple sources over different periods of time, is detailed in content, and appears to be generally consistent”. - Which measures does Iran have to take in order to allow the IAEA to make progress in resolving issues? Implementation of the Additional Protocol: Unless Iran fully implements the Additional Protocol the IAEA will not be able to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran. This would be crucial in the case of Iran, due to almost 2 decades of concealment of sensitive nuclear activities. Additional transparency measures: Against the background of a possible military dimension, IAEA has to investigate possible scope and duration of activities, which could be related to a possible military dimension even if there is no direct link to the nuclear programme as such. Due to doubts about the possible "militarization" of the Iranian programme, Iran has to address existing confidence deficit and suspend nuclear fuel cycle activities (enrichment, reprocessing and heavy-water related projects) which could be used to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons.
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http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/iran/intro/index.htm
