The European Union Will Host Nuclear Negotiations with Iran Next Week

The European Union will host negotiations on Iran's nuclear program next Monday, March 25, in Brussels, involving the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, and Iran. According to AFP, as the deadline at the end of March (April 10) approaches for reaching a political agreement between Iran and six world powers, the EU will facilitate discussions on Iran's nuclear program. Iran has held intensive meetings with global powers in recent months. The EU stated that Federica Mogherini, the Union's foreign policy chief, will oversee next week's negotiations. Previously, Catherine Ashton represented Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States in talks with Iran, but recently these discussions have taken place in various formats. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet in Switzerland a day before the Brussels meeting. These meetings are part of Western efforts to reach a comprehensive and final agreement to resolve ambiguities regarding Iran's nuclear program and ensure it does not acquire nuclear weapons. An EU spokesperson noted, 'This is the first time negotiations of this level are being held in Brussels.' He added, 'These negotiations are part of our efforts ahead of the deadline. We are doing everything we can.' The Zarif-Kerry meeting is scheduled for Sunday in Lausanne, Switzerland, according to a U.S. State Department announcement. The main issues in these negotiations include limiting Iran's uranium enrichment program for several years and determining how the process of lifting economic sanctions against Tehran will proceed. Recently, Mohammad Javad Zarif indicated that Iran might accept a 10-year pause in some of its sensitive nuclear activities. Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, along with his French and German counterparts, Laurent Fabius and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is also expected to participate in the regular EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday. The EU has assisted in the mediation process between the five permanent members of the Security Council—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States—plus Germany and Iran. Nuclear negotiations between Iran and the six world powers began in late 2013 after Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for easing some Western economic sanctions. These negotiations have been extended multiple times, but all parties claim this is the final round. They have set March 31 as the deadline for a political agreement, with a final agreement expected by the end of June. Iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful.