Iran's top nuclear negotiator was to meet Monday with the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain to discuss a permanent deal to halt Iran's uranium enrichment program. The talks come as the European Union's head office tries to secure a date with Tehran on reopening negotiations on a separate trade and cooperation agreement with Iran early next year. The reopening of talks was conditioned on Iran sticking to a deal to suspend its enrichment program, which the United States fears is being used to make weapons. The three foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana planned to press Iran's Hassan Rowhani to move from a voluntary suspension to a permanent one in exchange for possible EU aid. The trade deal will also be on the agenda of the EU's foreign ministers meeting Monday and the summit of EU leaders later this week. All 25 EU foreign ministers were likely to endorse the resumption of negotiations on a trade deal. The trade talks could start as early as mid-January, one EU official said. The foreign ministers were to assess the possibilities of Iran maintaining full suspension of its enrichment program "without exception, under the verification of the International Atomic Energy Agency" said an EU statement ahead of Monday's meeting. Iran reached a deal with the Europeans last month to suspend its enrichment and related activities while Tehran negotiates a long-term agreement. The IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, is to monitor the suspension.
