Iran’s pro-reform President Mohammad Khatami concluded a groundbreaking visit to Germany on July 12. The trip largely succeeded in producing a thaw in bilateral relations. Ties had languished for several years because of several incidents. These included the implication of Iranian agents in the 1992 shootings of three Kurdish activists in a Berlin restaurant called Mykonos, and the case of Helmut Hofer, a German businessman sentenced to death in Iran for allegedly engaging in sexual relations with a Muslim woman. In January, Hofer was permitted to return to Germany, thus paving the way for Khatami’s visit.

Since 1992, economic relations between Germany and Iran have withered. Trade has dropped by about 50 percent. During Khatami’s visit to Germany, the German government announced that it would increase its export credit guarantees by up to 500 percent in an attempt to stimulate trade.

The question of Iran’s human rights record did not figure prominently during Khatami’s discussions with German political leaders. German leaders, however, did raise the issue of 10 Iranian Jews who were convicted of espionage recently by an Iranian court.

On July 12, EurasiaNet talked to Ellen Hasenkamp, a Brussels-based reporter for Agence France-Presse who covers European Union affairs, about the results of Khatami’s visit. The text of the interview follows:

EurasiaNet: What were Khatami’s goals for his visit to Germany and did he achieve those goals?

Hasenkamp: The chief goal was to produce a thaw in relations. The Hofer case and the Mykonos case, in addition to the death sentence issued against the author Salman Rushdie, had been major obstacles to good relations between Iran and Germany, and the European Union in general. For many years relations had been frozen. Khatami’s effort to bring about a thaw began last year with a visit to Italy. The desire was to reestablish a political dialogue between Iran and Europe. The Germany visit was critical for the success of the Iranian initiative due to Germany’s position as the most influential member of the European Union. Judging by the reactions of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other German officials, the visit should be characterized as a success from the Iranian viewpoint. All indicators are that Europe will very slowly and very cautiously proceed with restarting a dialogue with the Iranian government. Khatami can now go home and claim a diplomatic success. … Just the fact that he managed to make the trip at all represented a diplomatic success. The visit was no sure thing right up until the very last minute. Also, the fact that, even though there were some protests, there were no major incidents and everything went more or less smoothly. This alone makes it a successful trip. … There had been a great deal of debate in Germany before Khatami’s arrival. Many people were against the visit. About 100 members of the German parliament signed a petition that opposed the trip, citing Iran’s bad human rights record. Iranian exile groups promised to hold demonstrations and there was a threat of violence. But the worst-case scenario did not occur. Now there is a reasonable chance that, over a period of several years, Iran will reestablish its full political and economic relationship with EU countries. The economic aspect should not be overlooked. The second day of Khatami’s trip was devoted entirely to meetings with members of the German business community. Many German and European companies are just waiting for the green light to invest in Iran, which represents a very lucrative market in the Middle East.

EurasiaNet: So the trip was also a success from the German standpoint?

Hasenkamp: Yes. The German approach, also the EU approach, emphasizes change through dialogue. Now that the Hofer case and other obstacles have been cleared away, full contacts can be restored.

EurasiaNet: Should we expect any changes in EU policy in the near future?

Hasenkamp: There will be more visits, and these contacts should take place on a more regular basis. The visit is also sure to increase the debate over the approach on so-called "states of concern," including Iran and Afghanistan. The United States policy is more cautious and places more emphasis on sanctions to bring about desired behavior by states accused of supporting terrorism. The EU approach is more oriented to reaching out and engaging the states in a political dialogue. The European belief is that dialogue is the best way to prevent these states of concern from supporting terrorist attacks in the future. In terms of economics, we should expect the restart of good business relations between Iran and Germany and other European states.

EurasiaNet: So how do Europeans view US policy towards Iran?

Hasenkamp: The overall mood is that the isolation of Iran and the use of sanctions are outdated. Germany and the EU see that Khatami, despite the fact that his government may not fully meet European standards of democracy, may be the only one on the political horizon who can bring about a liberalization of the Iranian system. The hope is that visits, political contacts and stronger economic ties on the part of Europe will strengthen Khatami’s ability to promote his domestic reform agenda. Many Europeans think that the United States should quickly come around to this position – lifting the sanctions and reestablishing a true dialogue.

EurasiaNet: Do economic and trade considerations take precedence over human rights concerns for European governments?

Hasenkamp: This is a difficult question. It tends to be so. The pressure exerted by business interests is always very high. It is very difficult for politicians, including German politicians, to withstand the pressure and adhere to democratic principles in the conduct of foreign policy. They all tend to make compromises. Economics is not the only factor. It is also a matter of pragmatism. European leaders will acknowledge that Iran is not democratic, but they would also argue that the best way to foster a positive change would be to cooperate with and not confront Iran. Khatami’s authority appears somewhat tenuous in Iran, and the European approach hopes to provide him with support against his conservative domestic opponents.

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Posted July 13, 2000 © Eurasianet
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