Vienna, Austria ? The World Trade Organization eased open its door to Iran on Thursday – an immediate reward for Tehran’s decision to stick with talks Europe hopes will reduce Tehran’s potential for nuclear mischief.

Iran was jubilant about the decision by the 148-member WTO in Geneva, which governs international commerce, to open membership negotiations with Tehran.

“Today this house with this decision has done service to itself by correcting a wrong,” said Mohammad Reza Alborzi, Iran’s chief representative to international groups in Geneva.

But Iran still insists on the right to technology that can make nuclear arms. Its decision Wednesday to meet with European Union negotiators for a new round of talks in the summer did little more than postpone a diplomatic struggle over Iran’s vow to resume programs capable of producing nuclear weapons.

“The idea is that the process will continue,” said a European official familiar with what was discussed in Geneva, acknowledging that no progress was made on the key dispute in the six-month talks – Iran’s insistence on the right to enrich uranium and European opposition to such plans.

“Yesterday we didn’t go into substance; we entered mainly into methodology,” said another official, who demanded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. She said Iran’s demand that it be allowed to enrich uranium “remains unacceptable” to the Europeans.

Iran first applied to join the WTO in 1996, but the United States blocked its application 22 times. The United States said in March it would drop its veto, after consultations with France, Germany and Britain, the European negotiating countries.

WTO membership was one of the rewards offered to Iran if it agrees to curb its nuclear program, including refraining from enriching uranium – something that was not agreed to Wednesday.