France: EU likely to ease Iran sanctions in December

It is likely that the European Union would lift some of the sanctions imposed on Iran next month, virtue of a deal just sealed after intense and long talks between Tehran and the P5+1 in Geneva over the Iranian nuclear program, France said on Monday. In remarks reported by Europe 1 radio, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the foreign ministers of the EU would meet in the few coming weeks to discuss a partial lift of sanctions within the framework of the hard-won deal. He added the European proposal on lift of sanctions would be both "limited" and "reversible, and would likely be announced in December. The Iran-P5+1 deal is an important step forward on the path leading to world peace and security, Fabius noted. While it recognizes Tehran's right to peaceful nuclear technology, the agreement prevents Iran from building and/or possessing a nuclear bomb, he added. The talks had been difficult and arduous, he stressed. French President Francois Hollande had on Sunday hailed the deal and called it a step in the right direction towards normalization of relations with Iran. Iran and the group of P5+1 (US, Russia, UK, France, China, and Germany) signed an initial deal, announced Sunday, that recognizes Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology while stipulating restrictions and conditions. As a main accomplishment of the deal, inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are to get access to Iranian nuclear facilities more frequently and in a more comprehensive manner.