DATE=11/23/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-S - IRAN (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-256487
BYLINE=GIL BUTLER
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 
says his country has turned down a request to accept 
American diplomats in Tehran.  The United States says 
no such request was made, but there is a wish to have 
U-S consular officials visit Iran to help speed up 
people-to-people contact.  Correspondent Gil Butler 
has more from the State Department.

TEXT:  Ayatollah Khamenei is quoted as saying in a 
speech to university students that Iran is resisting 
pressure to base Americans at an interest section in 
Tehran.  He accused the United States of wanted to 
open an office for intelligence and political 
purposes.

White House National Security Adviser Sandy Berger 
denies the United States has requested any change in 
the status of diplomatic representation with Iran.

State Department spokesman James Rubin gives more 
details:

            /// RUBIN ACT ///

      As a matter of fact, our interests in Iran are 
      represented by the Swiss government.  We have 
      not made any requests to change this 
      arrangement.  However, as a matter of policy we 
      have sought to promote people-to-people 
      exchanges between Iran and the United States, 
      and in this context, the U-S government has -- 
      on a regular basis -- permitted Iranian 
      government representatives to travel to the 
      United States to take part in people-to-people 
      exchanges.  We think it is high time that Iran 
      allowed U-S officials the same privilege in 
      their country.

            /// END ACT ///

The spokesman says it is in the U-S national interest 
for there to be extensive contacts between Iranians 
and Americans of all walks of life.

In addition to such exchanges, Mr. Rubin says the 
United States would like consular officials to visit 
Iran, to help facilitate issuing visas to Iranians who 
want to visit America, and to help Americans get visas 
to visit Iran.  A third point the spokesman makes is 
that, aside from facilitating visas, Iranian officials 
have been allowed to visit Iran's interest section in 
Washington, but Iran has not approved American 
official visits to Tehran.

            /// REST OPT ///

The United States' interest in official visits to 
Tehran is not new, according to Mr. Rubin.  He says 
the basic points he is making will not come as a 
surprise to Iran's government.  He says Tehran's 
position on American official visits does not reflect 
a rejection of such a request from Washington.  In Mr. 
Rubin's words, "We have never gotten to that point."

Improvement in U-S - Iranian relations is a major 
factor in the on-going internal political struggle in 
Iran between hard-line clerics, led by supreme leader 
Khamenei, and reformers led by President Mohammad 
Khatami.   (Signed)

NEB/MGB/WTW



23-Nov-1999 16:51 PM EDT (23-Nov-1999 2151 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.