ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Jan. 25 - EU Backs Iran, Iraq, Syria For WTO Status.

Meet-ing in Brussels, the EU trade ministers and Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy agree to back a US-supported Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) request for observer status at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). But it stresses it also wants to extend this status to Iran and Syria - a position opposed by the US. A Lamy spokeswoman told journalists on Jan. 26: "The message is loud and clear: the EU supports the Iraqi request to become a member of the WTO. The EU thinks this will be good for the Iraqi people". However, some diplomats from EU governments said the Commission, by endorsing the decision, appeared to have shifted its ground under pressure from a majority of member states. They said on Jan. 23 the Commission told member states of its serious reservations about any move to give Iraq observer status at the WTO while the US continues to block applications by Iran and Syria. They said the Commission had pointed to legal difficulties for an Iraqi bid, since the WTO normally granted observer status only to sovereign governments. Lamy's spokeswoman denied these claims on Jan. 26, saying the Commission had always been in favour of granting Iraq observer status. She also stressed the Commission had not made support for Iraq conditional on the US lifting its opposition to Iran and Syria, saying each case would be decided on its merits. She said: "We continue to strongly support observership requests from other countries in the area such as Iran and Syria, which have so far been vetoed by the US". The IGC formally asked for observer status at the 148-member trade body last week.