WORLD> Middle East
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WORLD> Middle East
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Iran seeks diplomatic breakthrough amid standoff with West
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-16 23:07 The Iranian president added that his country and Turkey would celebrate 2009 as a joint culture year, which would help enhance better understanding of each other's culture and civilization. For his part, Gul said the maintenance of peace, stability and prosperity in South Caucasus was a priority among Turkish foreign policy targets. However, the two neighbors failed to conclude expected energy accords, which were strongly opposed by Washington. Last July, Iran and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding, allowing the Turkish Petroleum Corporation to pump 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas from the giant South Pars gas field. The agreement would also allow the transport of Iranian natural gas to Europe as well as the transfer of Turkmen natural gas to Europe via Iran and Turkey. Turkey has recently improved ties with Iran and argues that its close dialog both with the West and Tehran could be an asset for a peaceful resolution of the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program. Nevertheless, analysts said Turkey, which is completely dependent on energy imports to quench its increasing thirst for oil and gas, may have played up the nuclear issue to deflect criticism over inviting Ahmadinejad, whose country is currently Turkey's second biggest supplier of gas after Russia.The failure to forge a deal to boost Iran's gas supplies to Turkey was a blow to Tehran's diplomatic efforts to avoid international isolation, they said. "Iran's diplomatic efforts have achieved some results, which partly dispelled pressures from the United States," said Zhao, the CIIS research fellow. "But due to geopolitical, historical and religious reasons and Iran's hard-line stance on the nuclear issue, its diplomatic efforts are still confronted with challenges," he added. |
