EU-Iran talks to resume before Christmas
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Brussels, Dec 10, IRNA
EU-Iran
The European Union and Iranian officials are expected to resume talks before Christmas, according to EU sources.
The European bloc has agreed to begin "talks for talks," said the sources, implying that initial talks will be held to sort out the modalities of future negotiations on Iran's nuclear weapons.
However, neither a precise date nor the venue has been fixed for the talks to resume.
EU-3 negotiations with Iran were broken off in August after Tehran said it will resume uranium conversion which it had suspended voluntarily.
In September, the EU-3 (France, Germany and the UK) with the support of the US tabled a resolution in the IAEA which alleged that Tehran was in non-compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and required that it be reported to the UN at an unspecified date.
The EU-3, however, during the November session of the Vienna- based nuclear watchdog, did not press for a resolution on Iran thus paving the way for talks to resume.
Meanwhile, Iran is not on the agenda of the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday.
"There will not be any discussion on Iran," British EU Presidency sources said in Brussels.
However, EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday will issue a statement on Iran.
The EU summit on December 15-16 will mark the end of the UK EU Presidency.
Austria takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the 25-member European bloc from January 1.
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