Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said that any...

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said that any trade agreement between the European Union and Iran would have to include provisions on human rights and the global fight against terrorism. Michel, on a two-day visit to Tehran, said Iran asked for Belgium's support in reaching a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU. But he cautioned that any deal would have to be negotiated within a wider framework.
"For the EU this is not only a trade issue but involves wider cooperation, the issue of human rights, the anti-terrorist struggle and the question of weapons of mass destruction," he told a news briefing. Michel, who spoke after meeting his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi and reformist President Mohammad Khatami, said at least two countries among the 15-member EU - which he did not name - were "reluctant" to give the European Commission a mandate to negotiate the agreement with Iran.
In his talks with Kharrazi, he stressed the need for Iran to improve its human rights record, including freedom of speech, and treatment of religious minorities. Tehran should also stop judicial crackdowns and review the implementation of the death penalty and inhumane treatment of criminals such as amputations.
To which his Iranian counterpart replied, Michel said, that "the human rights issue should be assessed according to certain parameters including the speed of reforms and comparisons within the region".