Teheran, 16/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - This declaration is "unacceptable", a press release from the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said commenting on the conclusions of the EU Council last Monday in Luxembourg on the subject of human rights in Iran (see EUROPE of 14 October, p.6). Teheran reproaches the EU with having "sinned" by interfering in its internal affairs, by setting out in the conclusions a number of obligations on Iranian legislative bodies. Iran, which states it hopes to develop relations with the EU, nonetheless objects to any prior conditions being set before there can be dialogue with the EU (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.8, on the subject of NGOs' reactions to the last dialogue session). The spokesperson insinuates that, by taking such a stance, the EU is behaving "under influence from outside" (i.e. Washington).