The European Union does not want to follow the U.S. lead in imposing economic sanctions on Iran, according to a European Commission spokesman.
“The European Union wants to maintain a critical dialogue with Iran,” the spokesman said Wednesday, adding, “We aren’t going to respond to this initiative.”
On Sunday, President Clinton announced a new executive order banning all U.S. trade and investment with Iran. Washington also called for its international allies to take part in the ban.
The European Union lets its businessmen make “decisions on the basis of commercial considerations,” the spokesman said.
“It’s in our interest to continue talking with a country that is a major power in the region,” he said.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.