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EU Official Says Iran 'Undoubtedly' Has New Approach to Nuclear Talks

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Pierre Vimont, deputy to High Representative Catherine Ashton, says it's “still rather difficult to conclude that they have presented a new policy.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (L) speaks with U.S. Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Ivo Daalder (C) and European Union Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Pierre Vimont before a NATO Defense Ministers meeting with non-NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) contributing nations at NATO headquarters in Brussels February 22, 2013. Panetta is attending meetings and holding bilateral meetings with other NATO defense officials. REUTERS/Chip Somodevil

"A new tone, but not a new course." That is the way Pierre Vimont — executive secretary general of the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the European Union and deputy to Catherine Ashton, high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy — describes the latest round of discussions with Iran.

Recently interviewed in Brussels, Vimont, who is in charge of developing a common external policy for the member states of the European Union (EU), looks back on the discussions that took place Oct. 15-16 in Geneva with Iran, describes the role of the EU in Syria and shares his feelings on the evolution of the situation in Egypt. He provides a clear synthesis of the major actions undertaken at the EU level to address the critical challenges of these three important Middle Eastern countries.

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