European press review

Friday's papers assess the possible impact of a US deal on nuclear co-operation with India on talks between Europe and Iran on Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.

In Russia, two dailies mull the likelihood of the extradition of a Russian business tycoon from Britain and a Spanish paper is unimpressed by the European Central Bank's decision to raise its interest rate.

The nuclear club

As senior officials from Britain, France and Germany are due to hold last-minute talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme before the issue is addressed by the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, on Monday, several papers consider the possible impact of a landmark agreement on civil nuclear co-operation signed by US President George W Bush in India on Thursday.

France's Liberation, which calls the agreement "historic", says President Bush has "killed two birds with one stone".

The same rules do not apply to all Liberation

Firstly, the paper says, he sent a signal that in the nuclear sphere, "the same rules do not apply to all" and that the kind of co-operation granted to India should not be offered "to a menacing Iran and an ambiguous Pakistan".

In the same stroke, the paper notes, the president backed Indian membership of "the big countries' club".

But Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung believes that the deal runs counter to the existing non-proliferation treaty.

Washington's "overture in India" is designed to contain the rise of China in an attempt to safeguard US influence in the world, it says.

"America is depriving itself of legitimacy by breaking rules which it demands of others for the sake of a tactical advantage," it says.

'Double standards'

Spain's El Pais agrees, saying Mr Bush's treatment of India will be regarded as "a manifestation of Bush's policy of double standards".

The paper fears that that the countries which hope to join the nuclear club will see the Indian example as an incentive.

Romania's Adevarul, likewise, sees strategic and economic advantages in the move.

"In the eyes of Washington, India - the most highly-populated democracy in the world - represents a counterweight to China's increased economic, political and military influence in Asia and the rest of the world," the paper says, adding that its 300 million-plus middle class, seen as potential customers for American goods, could have influenced the talks.

Russia's Vedomosti says "Tehran may, with good reason, express its indignation and confidently accuse Washington of hypocrisy and double standards".

Russia and the EU troika have now lost the chance to demand that Iran observe the moratorium on nuclear research Vedomosti

"Iran is being threatened with sanctions and hampered from developing a nuclear programme on the grounds of unproven suspicions of creating a nuclear bomb, while India, which not only failed to sign the non-proliferation treaty but secretly developed a nuclear bomb, is getting advanced technologies."

"Russia and the EU troika have now lost the chance to demand that Iran observe the moratorium on nuclear research," it says.

It believes that India "will get access to American nuclear technologies without having to burden itself with bilateral non-proliferation agreements".

"This is one more sign of the implacable aging of multilateral agreements and gradual transition to bilateral deals in the world power alignment."

The deal "may set in motion a very dangerous trend".

"Seeing that the Indian nuclear genie has been let out, the USA's strategic allies - Pakistan and Israel - may demand a similar agreement from Washington."

Russian tycoon

Still in Russia, several papers focus on the news that the prosecutor-general has opened a criminal case against exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky on charges of attempting to overthrow the government.

The multi-millionaire businessman and ally of former President Boris Yeltsin - who was granted asylum in the UK three years ago - told a Moscow radio station on Thursday he was only culpable of helping Vladimir Putin become Russian president in 2000 and thus helping him destroy Russia's constitution.

Komsomolskaya Pravda believes that "Berezovsky's big mouth may land him in prison."

It seems that (Mr Berezovsky) has managed to tire out even the English Komosomolskaya Pravda

"In 2003, the English refused to extradite Berezovsky from Russia but they may do this time. It seems that he has managed to tire out even the English, who gave him refuge."

Moskovskiy Komsomolets, however, argues that the prosecutor has not enough evidence that could stand in an independent court.

"While two days ago one could still talk about a fundamentally-new situation emerging, such as Berezovsky's standoff with the British authorities, everything now returned to the previous status-quo: the Kremlin versus the political immigrant Boris Abramovich Berezovsky in British courts."

Interest rates

Spain's El Pais questions the wisdom of the European Central Bank's decision yesterday to raise the base interest rate to 2.5%.

"It is the second increase in the last three months and its effects on the euro zone are not necessarily favourable," the paper says.

It argues that the purpose of a central bank should be not to hinder growth with tough monetary measures which, it says, "can wait".

"It is unintelligent... to put on a bandage before there is a wound," it argues.

The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions.