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The European Union and Iran have dashed hopes of an early
agreement which would end a seven-year Iranian death
sentence against British writer Salman Rushdie.
Contrary to earlier reports from European diplomats in
Brussels that both sides were "95 per cent" in agreement,
the EU troika representing the foreign ministers of
Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands did not even discuss
the issue at a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General
Assembly.
Irish Foreign Minister Dick Spring, whose country cur-
rently presides over the EU, told journalists after the
hour-long meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar
Velayati yesterday that the issue was "not on the agenda
and it was not discussed."
The meeting had been awaited with anticipation after Iran
yesterday pledged for the first time in writing not to
track down Rushdie, but insisted a religious decree, or
"fatwa," condemning him to death for alleged blasphemy
was irrevocable.
Velayati said the talks, in the framework of the EU's
"critical dialogue" with Iran, had "covered many things.
We think that there are some common views and there are
also some differences."
He added that "now, when we compare our critical dialogue
meeting with what we used to do last year, I think we
have made some progress."
Spring said that it was "obvious to both sides that the
discussions that have taken place have not matured to a
stage when you would be taking decisions."
But Dutch Foreign Minister Hans Van Mierlo told reporters
that EU foreign ministers could discuss the matter when
they meet on October one.
He said he was "not pessimistic" about a solution being
found to the problem.
The Iranian foreign ministry said in a letter published
in Jomhuri Islami newspaper that Iran's policy was "not
to send any commandos" to seek out and kill the author,
who has been living in hiding under tight security since
the sentence was issued.
Several Iranian leaders have already stated verbally they
do not seek to track down Rushdie but the foreign minis-
try's letter was the first time Iran had made such a
pledge in writing.
The ministry cautioned however that the "fatwa" issued
against Rushdie in 1989 by Iran's late spiritual leader
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, for allegedly blaspheming
against Islam in The Satanic Verses, was "unchangeable."
Spring said he had "no information" on the report from
Tehran, but European diplomats said that publication in
the newspaper close to Islamic extremists would not be
sufficient.
Under the proposed agreement which has been negotiated
for the past 18 months, Iran would not implement the
decree on EU territory and the EU would continue to
oppose its "irrevocability."
According to several European officials in Tehran, Bri-
tain, the country most concerned with the Rushdie affair,
has voiced reservations over the terms of accord.
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