Saturday, March 12 2005 10:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The United States has agreed to drop its objection to Iran's candidacy to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in support of European diplomatic efforts over Tehran's nuclear program, the US State Department said yesterday (Mar 11, 2005).

President George W Bush "has decided that the US will drop its objection to Iran's application to the WTO and will consider, on a case-by-case basis, the licensing of spare parts for Iranian civilian aircraft, in particular from the European Union (EU) to Iran," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement.

She said that the move was "in order to support the EU-3's diplomacy." The three European nations are France, Germany and Britain.