02 January 2005	Sunday	20 Ziqa'ad 1425

TEHRAN, Jan 1: Iran's top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani said on Saturday that negotiations with the Europeans aimed at easing international concerns over the country's nuclear programme were on the right track.

But he nevertheless said he was disappointed that one promised incentive - Iran's accession to the World Trade Organisation - had failed to materialize despite the European Union's support.

"As part of their commitments, the Europeans were supposed to support Iran's membership of the WTO, which they did. But we feel the Europeans did not support Iran enough. They have to get Iran become a member," he told state television.

Under an agreement negotiated in Paris in November, Iran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment activities in order to escape the threat of being referred to the United Nations Security Council by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In return for 'objective guarantees' that Iran would not develop nuclear weapons, the three principal EU powers, Britain, France and Germany, offered Tehran a range of trade, technology and security rewards.

While the United States again blocked Iran's entry into the WTO, it has gained membership of the IAEA's fuel cycle group.

"The negotiations on a trade agreement are supposed to start by mid January and they will start," he said, adding that "since the Paris accord we can conclude the Europeans have tried to meet their commitments".-AFP