Today, the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed to start talks with Iran about it becoming a member, now that the United States has put an end to its longstanding veto.
Iran has tried to get into the WTO 22 times in the last five years, but was blocked by the United States every time. The U.S. has had a ban on Iran for nearly 20 years because of beliefs that the country supports terrorism.
The United States dropped its veto after Iran made a commitment to resolve a dispute over its nuclear enrichment program. The U.S. has accused the country of using its nuclear power program to make nuclear weapons, violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
At a meeting with foreign ministers of France, the U.K., and Germany, Iran reaffirmed that it is not trying to make nuclear weapons. The U.S. decided to go along with this.
“In the European view, Iran continues to suspend its nuclear activities. They believe that a US decision to withhold its veto would help their diplomacy”, said a senior U.S. official. Bloomberg News writes:
The U.K., France and Germany persuaded Iran in November to suspend enrichment of uranium so that United Nations inspectors could visit the country’s nuclear sites. Following Iranian threats to resume the enrichment, the European ministers pledged yesterday to propose a solution to the standoff by the beginning of August.
The U.S. last week reiterated its determination to take the issue to the UN Security Council if Iran revives the enrichment process.
“Today this house with this decision has done service to itself by correcting a wrong,” said Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Mohammad Reza Alborzi.
The World Trade Organization currently consists of 148 members. There are thirty countries including Iran that are trying to become members of the group.
Chris is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
