Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht-e Ravanchi said on Sunday that the new round of Iran-EU talks will open in Tehran on Monday with the participation of a European delegation headed by the European Union deputy foreign policy chief, Helga Schmid.
The Iranian official added that the two-day deputy-level talks will cover a wide range of issues, including the Iran-EU relations in the fields of energy, trade, financial and banking cooperation, the environment and the fight against narcotics.
Experts from Iran and the 28-nation bloc will also discuss regional issues such as the campaign against terrorism and extremism which are posing threats both against regional countries and the EU members, the Iranian official said.
Takht-e Ravanchi also stated that the crises in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, will also be on the agenda of the negotiations.
He said Iran and the EU have agreed to hold meetings in Tehran and Brussels twice a year, adding that this move will help the two sides reach a better understanding of each other's positions.
European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, on Saturday confirmed that she is planning "an important visit" to Iran in the near future but added that no exact date has been set yet.
"It was very important to see the unity of the member states in the direction, intentions and preparations of this work we are doing with Iran," Mogherini said.
Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany started to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on January 16.
After the JCPOA went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the UN Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.
The nuclear agreement was signed on July 14, 2015, following two and a half years of intensive talks.
/SR
