Iranian Legislators Seek Civilization Dialogue with US

Iranian legislators have voiced hope that the U.S. could be a party in the process of dialogue among civilizations and take steps to improve relations between the two foes through relaxing sanctions against Iran.

In an open letter to the U.S. congressmen in regard to the possible extension of economic sanctions against Iran, the assembly of former and present representatives of the Majlis (parliament) called for deepened cultural exchanges with the U.S. in a bid to lubricate the rusty U.S.-Iran ties.

About 100 out of 290 legislators in the current Majlis are members of the assembly.

The letter, carried by the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday, said that expansion of ties between the nations and the elite of the two countries in the year of dialogue among civilizations is expected to lead to more understanding between the two sides.

It further pointed out that the U.S. congressmen are expected to refrain from taking any measures that would result in creating pessimism among the public opinion.

Instead of persisting on the unpleasant approaches of the past, the U.S. must resort to new methods, the letter noted.

Diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. were severed in 1980 after some Muslim students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, following the 1979 Iran's Islamic Revolution.

In 1996, a U.S. legislation stipulated that measures would be taken against U.S. firms that make substantial investments in the petrochemical industries of Iran and Libya, two nations that the U. S. accuses of backing international terrorism.

As the punitive Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, also known as ILSA, is due to expire in August, a powerful pro-Israel lobby is pressing for another full five-year extension of the controversial legislation. But officials in the U.S. President George W. Bush's administration are in favor of a two-year extension.

Iran has recently said the U.S. should waive sanctions to re- open U.S.-Iran ties, reiterating that the lifting of the sanctions is a precondition for thawing the icy ties between the two countries.

James Schlesinger, former U.S. energy secretary and defense secretary under Jimmy Carter, and Lee H. Hamilton, former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee have also pointed out that the current stalemate in U.S.-Iranian relations does not serve overall American interests.

The sanctions have cost American companies' opportunities to invest in Iran and develop its vast oil and gas resources, they said, in an article published by the International Herald Tribune on Monday.

The United States "should loose its economic sanctions against Iran and take other steps to foster an improved relationship, without weakening efforts to advance Middle East peace and prevent terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons," they said.

Regarding the letter, Mohsen Nariman, member of the assembly said "our main motive is to put the dialogue of civilizations into practice and thereby tell the U.S. that the optimal way for talks between the two governments is to open up the doors of dialogue."

Yadollah Eslami, member of the central council of the assembly, said the U.S. Congress is under the influence of the pro-Israel lobby, adding "we want to ease the pressures on the congress through such measures."

He expressed hope that the U.S. congressmen will pay close attention to the U.S. interests and refrain from fanning the flames of the hostility.






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