Talks with Iran in April

(BRUSSELS2) The dialogue finally seems to be starting with Iran. But the resumption of talks could not happen before April, according to a European diplomat. The director of political affairs of the EEAS (Helga Schmid), who is particularly following the Iranian file, is currently in talks with her Iranian equivalent to determine the place of the meeting, its date, its format as well as the subjects put on the agenda. and the pace of discussion.

But the Europeans do not intend to relax the pressure. They continue to refine their process of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, whether related to the continuation of the nuclear program or respect for human rights. the 27 have already decided on Thursday (March 15) to ban " the provision of specialized financial messaging services to persons and entities subject to an asset freeze”.

The mail mechanism was triggered in early March. After several months of waiting, the Iranian negotiator, Dr. Jalili's, replied to the High Representative of the EU on February 14, expressing to her Iran's desire to resume negotiations, mentioning for the first time expressly the nuclear issue. The High Representative then responded on 6 March (read the letter here), and commented on this exchange in “ hoping that Iran will now enter into a sustained process of constructive dialogue that will lead to real progress in resolving the international community's continuing concerns over the nuclear program ».