Iran, EU powers to hold N-talks on Jan 13

Iran to hold nuclear talks with France, UK, Germany in Geneva on January 13, says official.

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TEHRAN:

Iran will hold nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany on January 13 in Switzerland, local media report-ed on Wednesday, quoting a foreign ministry official.

"The new round of talks between Iran and three European countries will be held in Geneva on January 13," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, according to ISNA news agency.

He added the talks were only "consultations, not negotia-tions."

The three European countries had on December 17 ac-cused Iran of growing its stockpile of high-enriched uranium to "unprecedented levels" without "any credible civilian justi-fication."

They also raised the possibility of restoring sanctions against Iran to keep it from developing its nuclear pro-gramme.

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said his country was "ready for fair and honorable negotiations" with the West.

"In exchange (for the lifting of sanctions), we create more confidence in the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear pro-gram," he was quoted as saying on Wednesday by Tasnim news agency.