Tehran, YJC. Zarif has invited high-ranking EU official to Iran.
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Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi who was speaking with Mehr News Agency
said that FM Mohammad Javad Zarif has invited the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
for the European Union Catherine Ashton on a visit to Tehran.
Maintaining
that no precise schedule has yet been arranged for the visit, Araqchi said
"Mrs. Ashton has an open invitation from Mr. Zarif to make a trip to Iran at
any time.”
Poised
with the question whether Zarif and Ashton are to have any meeting in the
sidelines of their upcoming ME trips, the Deputy Foreign Minister said that for
the time being there are no visits on agenda.
Also
in response to a question whether January 20 is the time for Iran and the P5+1
to start the implementation of the joint plan of action he said "A proposed
date has been agreed upon which I cannot tell now. But in case agreement is
made the joint plan of action will start operation on that day.”
Meanwhile
the Chief Spokesperson to HRVP Catherine Ashton Michael Mann has said that no
official invitation has been addressed at Ashton, but she is willing to make a
trip to Tehran to better pursue the nuclear negotiations.
Moreover, an anonymous sources has told IRNA that the possibility of a next-week visit by Ashton is not excluded.