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EU ministers to weigh Iran moves EU agrees Iran nuclear sanctions
(about 11 hours later)
Possible further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear enrichment programme are on the agenda as EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg. EU foreign ministers have agreed to implement sanctions against Iran after its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.
The sanctions go further than those already agreed by the United Nations.
The UN sanctions involve a partial arms embargo and a travel ban against people and organisations involved in Iran's nuclear programme.
The EU has agreed a total arms embargo, and added further people to the travel ban list - they are banned from the EU and their assets are frozen.
Turkey talks
At the same time, the EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, has announced that he will fly to Turkey on Wednesday for talks with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.
This will be the first time the two men have met since early February.
Mr Solana made no mention of what he hopes to come out of the discussions, given the international insistence that Tehran must freeze its nuclear enrichment programme before full negotiations can begin.
The BBC's Michael Voss in Luxembourg says the EU has been adopting a carrot and stick approach - tougher sanctions on the one hand, with major economic and political enticements and co-operation in the civil nuclear sector.
So far though, the results have been limited, he says.
On Sunday an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that the country had no intention of halting uranium enrichment.
Russia trouble
During the two-day meeting, the ministers will also hold talks with their Russian counterpart to review the increasingly troubled Moscow-EU ties.During the two-day meeting, the ministers will also hold talks with their Russian counterpart to review the increasingly troubled Moscow-EU ties.
Relations have been strained over trade, energy and political issues.Relations have been strained over trade, energy and political issues.
The future of Kosovo is also set to be raised in the ministers' meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.The future of Kosovo is also set to be raised in the ministers' meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
With diplomatic efforts stalled, the EU ministers are expected to push for a tightening of sanctions against Iran in an effort to get Tehran back to the negotiating table over its nuclear ambitions.
One proposal is to add about 20 senior Iranian officials to the existing travel embargo.
The EU is also pushing for a full arms embargo in place of the UN's current partial one.
Iran is one issue where Russia and the European Union have been working together constructively - a beacon of light in an otherwise increasingly troubled relationship.
Over the weekend the EU failed to resolve Moscow's ban on Polish meat exports.Over the weekend the EU failed to resolve Moscow's ban on Polish meat exports.
This will have serious implications for next month's EU-Russian summit, with Poland vetoing moves to negotiate a new co-operation and energy pact with Moscow. This could have serious implications for next month's EU-Russian summit, with Poland having so far vetoed moves to negotiate a new co-operation and energy pact with Moscow.
Setting an agenda for the summit is one of the main topics for discussion at talks later in the day with Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.
So is the future of Kosovo - the Kremlin is critical of the UN's proposal for independence for Kosovo, siding instead with Serbia which is bitterly opposed to the plan.