USA: WASHINGTON CRITICISES FRENCH FIRM'S OIL DEAL WITH IRAN

Описание: (30 Sep 1997) English/Nat

Washington has sharply criticised a new two (b) billion U-S dollar oil deal between a French firm and Iran.

And the Clinton administration says it will continue to prevent U-S firms from doing business with Iran, as a way to combat state-sponsored terrorism.

They're defending the U-S sanctions, even though the most obvious outcome of the embargo has been that other companies have profited where American firms cannot.
The economic sanctions against Iran were meant to hurt the Iranians.

U-S officials say sanctions are meant to force change in Iran's policy of sponsoring international terrorism.

Instead, the big losers have been American companies that have been denied a share of Iran's oil wealth.

U-S allies in Europe, including France, have not barred companies from doing business with Iran.

And a new deal between French oil firm Total and Iran, worth two (b) billion U-S dollars, has drawn sharp criticism from Washington.

(English)
"We have told our companies, by law, that they are not allowed to pursue profit in Iran. And that's because we believe the danger is great. We believe you can't do business with countries like this by day and expect to be protected from the terror that they support at night. That is the position of the United States, and we've put our money where our mouth is."
SUPER CAPTION: James Rubin, U-S State Department spokesman

The deal with Total could put U-S sanctions to the test.

Those sanctions would penalise countries investing more than 20 (m) million U-S dollars in Iran.

In a more conciliatory tone the State Department stressed that the U-S and their European partners were in agreement over other areas - specifically Iran's purchase of arms.

(English)
"We have had a dispute with the government of France and other European governments about how to approach Iran for some time, and I suspect it's not going to go away any time soon. But I hope that when people write about that dispute they bear in mind that we have a general agreement and a deep agreement with the government of France and other governments about the need to prevent weapons and weaponry and weapons of mass destruction from going to Iran."
SUPER CAPTION: James Rubin, U-S State Department spokesman

Despite the U-S threat to use its economic muscle over the new oil deal, France and Europe are not buckling under.

French and European Union officials are defending the trade deal with Iran.

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