EU/IRAN : NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN TO APPLY FROM 20 JANUARY.

• Position: Brief article

The interim agreement on Iran's nuclear programme will apply from 20 January, confirmed, on the evening of 12 January, High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton and Iran's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham.

The E3+3 (France, Germany, the UK + China, Russia and the United States) and Iran "have now reached a common understanding on the implementation arrangements for a first step of six months of initial measures as set out in the Geneva joint plan of action of 24 November 2013," declared Ashton, following approval by all the parties of the agreement worked out on 10 January in Geneva by her Deputy, Helga Schmid, and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"We will ask the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] to undertake the necessary nuclear-related monitoring and verification activities," added Ashton.

Under the plan, no further...