Iran turns to Asia amid row with Europe
Iran turns to Asia amid row with Europe
TEHRAN (AFP): Iran is turning to Asian countries for economic and trade relations as its political crisis with the European Union deepens, state television said yesterday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alaeddin Borujerdi held talks here on Thursday with the ambassadors of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines.
He said the future of relations with members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was "bright and shiny."
"International developments have shown that Asia will be a strong contender in the world in the future and our countries should boost ties all the more," Borujerdi said.
He said Europe was the "main loser" in the political row with Iran, and that the Islamic republic would "turn more to the East" in its economic relations. "Iran will boost relations with Asia," he said.
Newspapers here have called on the government to forget about economic relations with Europe and turn to its partners in Asia.
Iran is locked in a political crisis with the EU over accusations that Tehran was involved in the 1992 assassination of four Kurdish dissidents in Germany.
The EU on Tuesday ended ministerial contacts and a "critical dialogue" with Iran, but stopped short of severing economic ties. Iran reacted by ending all talks with Europe and barring German and Danish ambassadors from returning. The diplomats had been recalled on April 10 when a German court implicated senior Iranian officials in the murder of the Kurds.
Some European countries, including Germany, are currently among Iran's biggest economic partners.
The hardline Iranian newspaper Kayhan called on the government to cut off economic links with Bonn and immediately close the country's ports to German goods.
"The Europeans have not understood who they are dealing with," it warned.
The conservative daily Resalat also urged the government to "tune in its economic relations with European countries based on their respect for our Islamic values."