Iran's negotiations with the European Union over a deal which would spare Tehran from possible U.N. sanctions are in their final stages, Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi says. "Negotiations with Europe were intense and important and ... they are in their final stages," Kharrazi told state television on Saturday. "We have given them our final response and await their final decision and we hope to pass this stage smoothly."
Iran and the European Union's big three powers -- Britain, Germany and France -- have been negotiating a deal for the past few weeks under which Tehran would agree to freeze sensitive nuclear work such as uranium enrichment. In return, the EU would not support U.S. calls for Iran's case to be sent to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions and would sit down with Iran to work out a solution to the nuclear dispute. Iran insists its nuclear ambitions are limited to generating electricity from atomic power plants, not making bombs. Tehran gave its response to the EU deal on Thursday but there has been no announcement yet of a final agreement. EU diplomats say Iran has been trying to change some of the terms of the deal, including the scope of the enrichment suspension. |