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No durable peace without Palestinian self-determination

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October 23, 2000 

TEHRAN (AP) - Iran said Sunday it supports a durable peace based on justice but warned that no peace will be achieved until the Palestinians are granted their basic rights.

President Mohammad Khatami said in a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in Tehran that attributing the Palestinian intefadeh, or uprising, to outsiders was wrong.

"Iran supports a durable peace in the Middle East based on justice. But there will be no peace if the basic rights of Palestinians are not achieved," Khatami said.

"The uprising of unarmed Palestinians for freedom and self-determination is a Palestinian issue. Attributing the intefadeh to outsiders is a deviation from realities on the ground. The intefadeh is the explosion of the wrath of a nation whose rights have not been recognized," Khatami said.

Asked if Iran would use its influence over the Lebanese Hezbollah to help release three Israeli soldiers recently arrested by the militant group, Khatami said that the Hezbollah was "a Lebanese and Arab movement. Iran has no control over Hezbollah."

Khatami said his talks with Aznar focused on Middle East peace, terrorism and oil.

Aznar, making the first visit to Iran by a Spanish premier since the 1979 Islamic revolution, said Spain was seeking improved relations with Iran and has invited Khatami to visit.

"We are going to sign a political memorandum of understanding to improve our ties and another on boosting trade ties and fighting drug trafficking," Aznar said.

The Spanish premier, who arrived Saturday, is expected to hold a second round of talks with Khatami Sunday night.

"Spain has also opened a 600 million dlrs credit line," Aznar told reporters.

Khatami also said the two sides held "detailed discussions" on oil.

"Iran supports stable oil prices. ... Holding talks with European and Western consumers was part of the agreement reached in the Caracas summit of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries" last month, he said.

Iran is the second-largest OPEC exporter after Saudi Arabia.

Spain is one of Iran's largest European trading partners. Bilateral trade stood at over dlrs 1 billion in 1997 but dropped to 767 million dlrs last year, most of it Iranian crude oil exports to Spain.