Austria Iran UN Uncategorized

BENNY WEINTHAL: AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO……..

 

The present Austrian government and EU apparatchiks have a lot of explaining to do. One can only wonder as to how the current Austrian regime can be considered a valued EU member government while it’s promoting trade with the Iranians in violation of current UN sanctions?

Should the present Austrian government of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and Conservatives (ÖVP) be considered as “one of the EU club” of European states, while it seeks to do business with the Holocaust denying, genocide promoting Iranian regime? What do the other governments of EU member states think of these parties, though they appear very prone to striking deals with a regime like Iran?

The Tundra Tabloids also wonders what the Freedom Party (FPÖ) of Heinz-Christian Strache think of the disclosure of these business ventures that are going on between Austrian and Iranian  governments? Especially since Mr.Strache was recently in Austria laying a wreath at the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. It’s going to be interesting to hear the answer to all of these questions, and the TT expects that this leader within the ‘New Right’,… to get it right. KGS

Austria under fire for promoting trade with Teheran

By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
12/17/2010 05:03

“The Chamber of Commerce is advising firms on how to circumvent the sanctions against Iran,” Vienna Jewish group says.

The Austrian Chamber of Commerce’s decision early this month to hold a workshop in Vienna to expand trade with Iran has sparked criticism from Austria’s Jewish community and the European NGO Réalité EU.

“The Chamber of Commerce is advising firms on how to circumvent the sanctions against Iran,” the Jewish community said on its website.

“Michael Tockuss, of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, the most important lobbyist of the Holocaust- denying regime in Teheran,” was invited, the Jewish community said.

Austria has contributed to “the diligent construction of commemorative plaques and memorials since the Shoah,” but the Chamber of Commerce does not shy away from trade with Iran, the 7,500-member Jewish community said.

According to the community’s statement, current Iranian-Austrian trade relationship reminds one “that under the Nazis, German- Austrian industry profited from the annihilation of Jews.”

The Jewish community statement termed Austria’s business deals with Teheran “disgraceful and morally reprehensible.”

Dr. Diana Gregor, a political analyst and researcher with Réalité EU, an organization that tracks European- Iranian trade, told The Jerusalem Post this week that “Austria has the reputation of being docile toward Iran.”

In June 2009 and this month, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce held seminars to “intensify” business with Iran, said Gregor, an authority on Austrian-Iranian economic relations.

“There are roughly 680 Austrian companies that have business relations with Iranian firms or the Iranian state. Some 35 Austrian firms have local branches in Iran and another 500 companies occasionally conduct business with Islamic Republic,” she said.

“Austrian companies are earning good money in Iran” but rarely talk publicly about the activity, Gregor added.

More here.

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