European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says she plans to visit Iran within the next few weeks."I read with interest the invitation to visit Tehran and it is my intention to do so in the course of the next weeks," Ashton said at a press conference following a meeting with Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Sabah in Kuwait City on Monday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has invited Ashton to visit Tehran.
Irans Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs and top nuclear negotiator Seyyed Abbas Araqchi announced the invitation on Saturday.
Mrs. Ashton has an open invitation from Mr. Zarif to travel to Iran, Araqchi said.
Ashton also called for the implementation of the landmark deal struck last November between Iran and six major world powers in Geneva over Tehrans nuclear energy program.
She further noted that it was vital that "political agreement now translates into practical things," and expressed her hopes that a comprehensive agreement over Tehrans nuclear energy program could be reached "shortly."
On Sunday, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Russia, China, France, Britain, and the US - plus Germany finalized an agreement on ways to take the first step to implement the Geneva nuclear deal, which the two sides struck in the Swiss city of Geneva on November 24, 2013, from January 20.
Araqchi said once Iran begins to implement the Geneva deal, the six will begin to ease sanctions on Tehran.
He added that the other side will release $4.2 billion in Iranian frozen assets in eight stages and Iran, in return, will oxidize its 20-percent-enriched uranium within a year.
Under the Geneva deal, the six countries undertook to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period. It was also agreed that no nuclear-related sanctions would be imposed on Iran within the same timeframe.
By Press TV
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