Khatami visits Austria

AP: Iranian President Mohammad Khatami was scheduled Monday to meet his counterpart and other leaders of Austria during a one-day visit focusing on bilateral themes but also likely to touch on international concerns about Tehran’s
nuclear ambitions.
Associated Press

VIENNA, Austria – Iranian President Mohammad Khatami was scheduled Monday to meet his counterpart and other leaders of Austria during a one-day visit focusing on bilateral themes but also likely to touch on international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Austria has placed few restrictions on trade with and investment in Iran, and many of its companies do good business there. Among them is oil and gas concern OMV, which has exploited the U.S. embargo preventing American oil companies from doing direct business with the Islamic republic.

Iran has been under intense international scrutiny since the discovery more than two years ago that it had been conducting clandestine work on nuclear enrichment for nearly two decades. The United States says Iran wants to make nuclear weapons, but Tehran says it is only interested in generating power.

Enrichment and related activities have been suspended by Iran while it negotiates with France, Germany and Britain – talks which the three European powers hope will lead to a permanent end to enrichment. But Iran insists its freeze is temporary and short-term.