IRAN: IRAN'S ISOLATION ON WORLD STAGE MAY BE COMING TO AN END

Описание: (11 Dec 1997) Eng/Russ/Nat
The Islamic summit in Tehran is a clear sign that Iran's isolation on the world stage may be coming to an end.
With a new, moderate president in charge, Iran has woken up to the need for foreign investment and the issue is now openly debated.
In return, foreign companies - eyeing up the country's vast oil reserves - appear to be ignoring U-S efforts to isolate the regime.
Beneath this burning turret lies Iran's black gold.
It is this vast pool of oil wealth that is tempting foreign companies to defy a U-S bill threatening sanctions on anyone who does business with Iran.
The most high-profile case is a two (b) billion U-S dollar oil and gas deal signed earlier this year.
Iran's partners - a foreign consortium led by France's Total and including the Russian gas company, Gazprom - remain undeterred by U-S threats.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"Gazprom will get a 420 or 30 million U-S dollars bonus from the deal. Can you find any other oil company that would refuse such a bonus? And we get to use our staff out there as well - our drilling and exploitation technicians will be going out there."
SUPER CAPTION: Pyotry Rodionov, Board Deputy Chairman of Gazprom
Such deals are only likely to proliferate.
Over the next few years, Iran plans to spend an estimated 74 to 94 (b) billion U-S dollars on expanding its gas, oil and petrochemical production.
But years of economic mismanagement and upheaval since the evolution and a drop in oil prices have left Iran in need of foreign capital.
For Iran - riding high on the apparent diplomatic triumph of the Islamic Summit it is hosting this week - the Total deal is another sign that its fortunes on the world stage are changing.
The deal is currently under investigation in the U-S.
Oil analysts believe the Clinton administration will have to slap some penalty on the companies.
But some argue the penalty is likely to be cosmetic only.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"That was a total failure of the American administration and Congress to impose its internal laws on others. I believe that proved that the time has changed and none of the powers can impose their policy on others and any country is looking after its own internal national interests."
SUPER CAPTION: Kamal Kharrazi, Iranian Foreign Minister
The U-S act has only added to the demonisation of America in Iran.
Anti-U-S protests are a regular occurrence on the streets of the capital, where there is little understanding of Washington's argument that it is punishing Iran for sponsoring terrorism in the region.
There were hopes on both sides that the arrival of President Khatami would help defuse the situation - but while Iran is adopting a new tone towards the rest of the world, relations with the U-S remain testy.
Less than two months after Khatami was sworn in, Iran accused America of sending an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf to spy on its military exercises.
In response, the U-S claimed that the U-S-S Nimitz was sent there following Iranian incursions against guerrilla bases in the no-fly zone in southern Iraq.
But while the face-offs with the U-S continue, European companies are finding the promise of lucrative contracts in Iran increasingly hard to resist.
Rajaii Khorasani, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Majlis - or Iranian parliament - says Iran has woken up to the need for foreign investment.
Under Khatami, the issue of foreign investment - a taboo only six years ago - is now openly debated.
SOUNDBITE: (Farsi)
SUPER CAPTION: Rajaii Khorasani, Head of Esfahan, Iran
Iran's new tone is paying off.
The contract was the largest of its kind in Iran.

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