EU puts off meeting on Iran sanctions

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EU puts off meeting on Iran sanctions

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European Union on Tuesday put off meeting to decide about sanctions on Iran.

10 January,2012 07:48 pm

The meeting has been brought forward by a week to January 23.On proposal of High Representative (EU foreign affairs chief Catherine) Ashton, the next Foreign Affairs Council will take place on 23 January, one week ahead of an EU summit on January 30 where the foreign ministers had been due to meet, the EU said in a brief text.EU diplomats meanwhile were locked in talks Tuesday on new sanctions targeting Irans energy sector, notably how to address the plight of economically-distressed European nations dependent on oil imports from Tehran -- Italy, Greece and Spain.Talks are centered on when and how to progressively phase out deliveries of Iranian crude.Iranian oil accounted for 15 percent of Spains total oil imports, 14 percent of Greeces and 13 percent of Italys, according to EU statistics for 2010.The 27-nation bloc is joining the United States in ramping up sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, which the West believes masks a drive to develop an atomic weapons capability.The EU is collectively the second-biggest destination for Iranian oil exports after China, taking in some 450,000 barrels per day. --AFP