Catherine Ashton Makes Landmark Visit to Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton arrived in Iran’s capital of Tehran minutes ago to be the first EU high-ranking official to visit Tehran in 6 years, following her predecessor’s trip to Iran in 2008.
Former EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana had visited Iran in June 2008.
And now, 'Baroness Ashton' has paid an official visit to the Islamic Republic to hold meetings with the Iranian officials to mainly discuss the bilateral relations between Iran and the EU.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi welcomed Ashton and her accompanying team upon their arrival in Tehran.
During her stay in Tehran, Ashton is scheduled to hold separate meetings with President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, as well as a number of other senior officials.
Earlier on Friday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for American and European Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi had announced that Tehran-EU bilateral ties will be the main topic of negotiations between Ashton and the Iranian officials.
He had also noted that Ashton is planned to attend a luncheon with Foreign Minister Zarif on Sunday, March 9.
As regards the possibility of any talk of nuclear issues during Ashton’s meetings in the country, Takht Ravanchi said, “Naturally, the nuclear discussion will be mooted in the talks as well.”
Ashton liaises with Iran on behalf of the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in diplomatic efforts related to Tehran's peaceful nuclear case.
Earlier on February 20, Foreign Minister Zarif, also Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, had announced on his Facebook page that Ashton will be in Tehran before the next round of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as P5+1 or E3+3).
He also wrote that the two sides will hold regular meetings until June.
Iran and the world powers wrapped up their latest round of nuclear talks in the Austrian capital on February 20.
In the meantime, the two sides are gearing up for a meeting of political directors on March 17, following the negotiations among technical experts which are now underway in Vienna.
The whole talks are aimed at resolving the West’s decade-long standoff over Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.
On November 24, 2013, the two sides signed an interim six-month deal on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The breakthrough deal (the Joint Plan of Action), which has come into effect since January 20, stipulates that over the course of six months, Iran and the six countries will draw up a comprehensive nuclear deal which will lead to a lifting of the whole sanctions on Iran.