Ashton seeks talks with Iran as EU eyes more sanctions

Jun 14, 2010, 9:57 GMT

Luxembourg - European Union foreign-policy chief Catherine Ashton on Monday said that she wants to talk directly with Iran about the country's nuclear programme, as EU states eyed more sanctions.

The Iranian nuclear programme has been the subject of several sets of United Nations sanctions, the last of which was approved on Wednesday.

Diplomats at an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on Monday said that they were set to push for even more sanctions.

'I have written to Mr Saeed Jalili, the (Iranian) chief negotiator, inviting him to meet with me to now discuss nuclear weapons issues and to take forward the twin-track approach' of talks backed up with sanctions, Ashton told journalists.

Western powers suspect that Iran's nuclear programme is designed to create an atomic bomb, something that Tehran denies.

Wednesday's UN Security Council resolution 1929 imposed a series of sanctions on Iran, including a ban on arms sales and travel restrictions and asset freezes for key regime figures and businesses.

But EU diplomats say that the bloc is likely to impose its own 'top-up' sanctions as well, targeting, in particular, the country's oil industry.

'Given that those (UN) sanctions are good and in the right direction, but not sufficient, we should go for the second stage, which is tougher EU sanctions,' Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said.

Sources said that the sanctions were not likely to hit the natural-gas sector, as EU members are keen to buy Iranian gas.

Ashton would not comment on that issue, saying only that foreign ministers would 'discuss ... what more we can do in the light of the security council resolution.'

Ministers were expected to work on a draft statement that would be endorsed by EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on June 17.

The document would signal the bloc's 'willingness to talk' to Iran, but also warn the regime that the recent compromise deal it struck with Turkey and Brazil to have some of its uranium enriched abroad, under international supervision, does not go far enough.

Diplomats said an agreement on extra EU sanctions could be approved at the foreign ministers' next meeting in July.