EUROPE'S SECRET NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN

The EU "big three", Germany, France and the UK, are spearheading international nuclear negotiations with Iran. The effort is coordinated by Javier Solana, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Secretary-General of both the Council of the European Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU). EU foreign ministers, meeting in Finland, have asked Solana to seek "clarifications" following Tehran's failure to meet a UN uranium enrichment deadline:

The EU's top diplomat will seek clarifications on the secret Iranian document which is "long, repetitive, and sometimes contradictory," according to one EU diplomat.

The nogotiations are seen as a victory for the lots of talk, no action European way of doing business:

The "big three plus Solana" construction used by the EU in the Iran dispute is seen by many experts and diplomats as having produced a rare success story for EU foreign policy.

Not only has the EU so far largely spoken with one voice on Iran – as opposed to for example on the Middle East – but the bloc has also taken up a leading international role on the issue, with UN veto powers, the US, Russia and China, allowing Mr Solana to talk to Tehran on their behalf.

Success? Most Europeans wouldn't have a clue what's going on:

But 22 out of the 25 ministers were not allowed to see a "top secret" 21-page report which Tehran produced last week explaining its position – a document only seen by Mr Solana and the so-called EU-3 countries the UK, France and Germany.

Hmm, what with the first two world wars starting as a result of secret European negotiations, why not the third?