Date: 11 Mar 2000
Time: 06:42:06
Remote Name: 24.30.137.96
03/10/2000 Associated Press Newswires Copyright 2000. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
LONDON (AP) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said Friday he hopes Iran 's new government will open up new markets for American farmers.
"I would have to say that I think that the U.S. is very, very interested and hopeful as a result of the new Iranian elections that there may be a thaw and we may be able to open up trade further," Glickman said in an interview with a small group of journalists.
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Thursday in Tehran that his government is interested in expanding trade ties.
"We would welcome the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iranian goods and would consider it as a positive move," Kharrazi told a Tehran news conference.
The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that the U.S. government was considering lifting its ban on Iranian carpets, pistachios and caviar - its three biggest exports after oil and gas - following the victory of Iranian reformists in last month's legislative polls. Many reformists welcome better ties with the United States.
"We have always said that Iran is interested in trade with U.S. firms. When the United States eased sanctions (last April) to allow sales of wheat and medicines to Iran , we made that conditional on the opening of the U.S. market to Iranian goods. Trade is a two-way street," Kharrazi said.
Glickman said he couldn't comment on whether sanctions would be eased further. "Obviously some of this is beyond my department because the Iranian sanctions relate to matters that were based upon nonagricultural issues," he said.