Iran Expects Realistic Policies From Bush AdministrationIran has said it is a good opportunity for the new US administration to make realistic policies toward Iran, the official IRNA news agency Sunday.Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hamidreza Assefi was quoted by the daily Doran-e Emrouz as calling on the new US President George W. Bush to show courage in forming new links between Washington and Tehran. Assefi expressed regret over former US President Bill Clinton's failing to keep his promise and change its hostile policy toward Iran despite certain green lights in the relations between the two countries. Mentioning green lights, Assefi was referring to the remarks by Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, who announced last March to lift a ban on Iran's three major non-oil exports - carpets, pistachios and caviar - and called for a new chapter of relations with Iran. Iran would give an appropriate response if the United States lifts its sanctions against Iran and revamps its policies, said Assefi. Assefi gave an upbeat assessment of the remarks by Colin Powell, new U.S. secretary of state, who called for changes in US policy towards Iran. Iran and the United States broke off diplomatic relations in 1980 after radical Islamic students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took its staffers hostage in the heyday of the Islamic revolution. Washington has frozen Iran's assets with US banks and has long since imposed economic sanctions on the Islamic state. It also accused Tehran of supporting international terrorism, trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction and opposing the Middle East peace process. Relations between the two countries have shown positive changes since liberal President Mohammad Khatami took office in 1997. Many analysts expect the new Bush administration would lift economic sanctions toward Iran under the strong lobbying of American oil giants. Despite all the positive developments, Iran suffered a setback after US oil giant Chevron withdrew its bid recently for developing additional phases of the giant south Pars gas field on the Persian Gulf, due to the mounting pressure from the Clinton administration. US oil companies are banned from joining any Iranian oil and gas ventures in accordance with economic sanctions US has unilaterally imposed on Tehran. |
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