Baku, Azerbaijan, July 15
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
Once implementation of the nuclear agreement proceeds to the point that sanctions are lifted, Europe is without doubt likely to want to benefit from opportunity in Iran, James Dorsey, senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies told Trend on July 15.
He believes that some European countries are likely to benefit more than others. "France, for example, may be seen in Tehran as having adopted a tougher line in the nuclear talks as part of its effort to ingratiate itself in the Gulf," he said.
Iran however will certainly want to regain its status as one of Europe's foremost energy suppliers, something that would suit Europe given strained relations with and sanctions against Russia because of the crisis in Ukraine, Dorsey said.
Beyond energy, he believes European companies in multiple sectors including car manufacturing and aerospace will want to expand into a virgin Iranian market.
With regard to the perspectives for development of US-Iran relations following the nuclear agreement, Dorsey said that it's too early for a formal political rapprochement. He believes for that to occur, the progress in implementing the nuclear deal will be needed as well as a more focused negotiation of outstanding differences between the United States and Iran.
The mentioned differences, as Dorsey said, include assertions of Iranian support of terrorism and militant groups and country's regional policies.
"In the meantime, greater tacit or explicit cooperation in specific situations is a distinct possibility, for example in the fight in Iraq against the Islamic State and the pursuit of a resolution of conflicts in Syria and Yemen," Dorsey said.
Iran and the group P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) struck a long-awaited nuclear agreement July 14.
The negotiations ended with adoption of a joint comprehensive action plan. If Iran carries out this plan, the economic and financial sanctions earlier imposed on it by the UN Security Council, the US and EU will be lifted.
The talks between the two sides started over 10 years ago. After the adoption of an interim joint action plan in Geneva in November 2013, the discussions between Iran and P5+1 have been held in Vienna, Montreux, Lausanne and Geneva in many rounds since February 2014. The final negotiation round has lasted in Austria's capital for over 18 days.
Aygun Badalova is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow her on Twitter:@AygunBadalova